Stop There and Let Me Correct It
by sincerelyyours.anonymous
Summary: Five months after Beca left her life in Atlanta behind, she's finding herself successful in Los Angeles, without Chloe. With Aubrey and Damian's wedding approaching quickly, the duo drags Chloe on a vacation, and it's one that changes both Chloe and Beca's life for the better. Sequel to New Perspective. Part II in the series.
1. All I've Ever Wanted

**A/N: Here's the first chapter to the sequel of New Perspective! Keep in mind that this one _is _shorter, but only because it's more of an introductory chapter. It shows where the girls are now. If you haven't read the first installment, please go read that now! **

**I added the dates to the chapters now so people won't get confused. This story will probably jump around as much as the last one did. **

**OC's: **

**Returning:  
Scott Mitchell - Josh Blaylock  
Isabelle Posen - Johanna Brady  
Damian Westbrooke - Shane Coffey**

**New:**  
**Ashlynn O'Daire - Bianca Lawson**  
**Jonathan Goodwin - Ryan Gosling**  
**Joanne "Jo" Brookline - Ruby Rose**  
**Maggie Grace - Nellie Veitenheimer**  
**James Rudenford - Cameron Mitchell**

* * *

**Monday, November 23**

Beca sighed as she leaned against the seat of her studio, tapping along to the beat of the music pounding through her headphones. She was working with some new talent that she had found while watching the live auditions for American Idol. Her client had auditioned, but didn't make it far, and with the help of her manager, Jonathan Goodwin, she had her first client in Los Angeles.

It had been five months since she left Georgia, and while she found herself missing her friends and family every day, the change was nice. She skyped with Scott when she could, and he informed her that Isabelle had moved in, and while they were both working it helped with rent. Beca's room remained just the way it was, just in case the girl wanted to come visit them and didn't want to bother with a hotel. Scott didn't dare say anything about Chloe, and Beca didn't ask. In the five months that Beca was gone she didn't try to come in contact with her at all. Beca was actually starting to think that it was over for good.

Beca had really gotten started about a month into her move. She had gotten small jobs like waitressing and bartending in clubs, and soon also by being DJs and playing music at said clubs, which that led her to her manager, Jon. Jon came to her and really got her name out there, mostly by finding bigger named clubs for her to play at and having her do remixes for big named artists, and now she was helping this girl create her first album. It was entirely exhilarating, and she couldn't get enough.

She bit her lip and hit mute on the soundboard, looking up when Jon walked through the door. "How is she?" He asked, sitting down next to Beca.

"She's getting there. We may have to run this track a few more times, but other than that, she's good." Beca explained, leaning back in her seat.

"You really think she can make it?"

Beca looked at the girl in the both, singing her heart out. The girl was named Ashlynn O'Daire, and she had a lot of heart and soul. The girl was obviously in her strong point, her face showing emotion with each and every note she hit. She reminded Beca of Cynthia Rose quite a lot, which was why Beca brought her in.

"Yeah, I do. She's got promise, definitely. Once we get her name out there, once we really get her known I'm sure she'll blow up huge." Beca assured Jon, smiling brightly at him.

"I really hope you're right about this, Beca." Jon said with a shake of his head, standing up and turning to walk. "Don't forget about your gig tonight."

"I wouldn't miss it, Jon."

Jon just left the booth with a smile, hearing the voice of Ashlynn O'Daire float through the room.

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"Chloe, I'm not going to help you go on a wild goose chase to find Beca. This is your Thanksgiving break- don't spend it moping about a girl who left, when you've got a totally hot girlfriend who's currently helping Damian decide on whether we should get takeout or go out for dinner. We're in Los Angeles, the city of _Angels, _not the city of 'Where the hell is Beca?' It's time to move on, especially since you're seeing Jo." Aubrey ranted, unpacking her things and throwing them onto her bed.

Aubrey and Damian's wedding was set to happen in early February. Since Chloe and her girlfriend, Jo Brookline, were planning it all for them, Aubrey wanted to treat them. They found a time that was good for all four of them, which just so happened to be Thanksgiving break, and paid for them all to go to LA for a week. It was a great way to get away from the stress and pressure that was New York and Atlanta.

"I know, Aubs.. I just want to see how she is. I want to know what she's been up to, if she's been succeeding." Chloe explained, watching Aubrey unpack.

"You don't have to see how she is when you've got Jo, Chloe. Just forget about Beca for Christs' sake!"

Chloe sighed and walked out of Aubrey's room, going to help with the dinner debate of Jo and Damian. She knew that she should just forget about Beca. The girl broke her heart into a million pieces, and Aubrey had to console her in person and over the phone. It was a wreck and Chloe wasn't even remotely okay until school started up again. That's when she invested herself in her work. Aubrey could barely get her to talk about something that wasn't related to her work. The redhead had been offered a job, not at Barden University, but at a nearby high school, and that was what kept Chloe numb. And it scared Aubrey. The blonde convinced Chloe to get out a little more, and that was how Chloe met Jo.

Joanne "Jo" Brookline was a street artist in Atlanta, as well as a professional photographer with her own shop. Chloe had been going for a run, and she had stumbled upon Jo's stand. She had actually mistaken the girl for a guy, until they got to talking, and Jo was chivalrous and painted something that was inspired by Chloe, for Chloe. It was that that effectively won Chloe over, and they started dating a week later. They weren't too serious, but Aubrey liked Jo (despite the tats and piercings) and she knew that the girl was good for Chloe. And from the looks of it, Jo made Chloe happy.

CHloe walked over to Jo and smiled when the short-haired girl wrapped her arms around Chloe. She kissed her cheek and gently squeezed the girl, before returning to her conversation before.

"But if we go out to dinner, we can see so much more and go out after. It'll be a lot more fun than staying in with take out." Jo argued, pulling Chloe close to her. "Come on, it's our first night here."

Chloe smiled and rested her head on Jo's shoulder. The girl had a very nice body, and Chloe just loved to run her hands along it. The two had been sexually active a few times, but Chloe just didn't feel that connection with Jo that she had with Beca. Chloe always thought back to that.

"I like her idea." Chloe piped, smiling when Jo turned her head and kissed Chloe's lips. Chloe hummed into the kiss and cupped Jo's cheek. SHe may not of felt the same connection, but man, the girl was great at kissing.

Damian sighed. "I guess Aubs has the deciding point."

Aubrey walked into the room and looked between her friends. "Decide what?" She asked, leaning into Damian.

"Whether we go out or not. Damian explained, as he pecked her forehead.

"I think it'd be fun." Aubrey commented with a grin. "I'm in."

Damian groaned. "But I'm jet-lagged."

"Then you can sit in here with your take-out by yourself." Chloe teased, stepping away from Jo to get herself ready.

Damian stuck his tongue out at her and Aubrey lightly smacked his stomach. "Just get ready babe, and I'll make it worth your while later."

"Ewww!" Jo exclaimed and walked back to her's and Chloe's room to get ready.

Aubrey just laughed and left Damian standing there as she got ready.

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Beca whistled to herself as she set up her equipment. She was opening at a new club that night and had been up there for a few hours already, but the club opened in two hours. She had speakers at the ready and her Mac hooked up, with her mix table spread out. It really made Beca swell with happiness. She was doing what she wanted to do, despite the losses that she had.

"Almost ready, Beca?" James ,the owner of the club, asked.

Beca looked down at him with a smile. "Almost. Just a few more wirings."

James Rudenford had come to Beca when the girl got signed by Jon. Beca helped James get his club started, as long as the guy paid her to perform at opening night, and would pay her every time one of her mixes were played on nights without a DJ. James had agreed, and the two had formed a great friendship.

"Great. Can't wait for tonight." James stated, making sure that everything was ready for tonight. Beca didn't bother him much .She knew he was busy, and she had her own things to handle.

When she left Georgia, she never intended for any of the Bellas to follow her. Three months after graduation, Beca got a call from a close friend, and she soon found one of her best friends in the city of her dreams with her. Cynthia Rose had been inspired by Beca's sudden choice, and made the trip out to LA as well. Beca was surprised, to say the least, but she was happy. Cynthia Rose had gotten an apartment in the same building as she, and they were always around each other. CR was actually getting publicity because of her friend, and she was quickly signed to a recording company.

Beca looked up when she heard her name, and grinned when she saw her friends. It wasn't her first gig, but she knew that James needed as much support as possible, plus she wanted to help the guy make friends. He didn't have that many, after all.

"Hey, Becs." CR smiled, and went to hug Beca then moved out of the way. "Things going good so far tonight?"

"Yeah, just a few more hours." Beca grinned brightly.

"Do you already have a setlist?" Maggie Grace, Beca's roommate, asked as she crossed her arms.

Beca nodded.

"Are you going to play _the _playlist?" CR asked, knowing about the list of songs that Beca had made for Chloe.

"I have a mashup for it. I didn't want to bore people with sappy-ass break-up and mushy songs." Beca explained, leaning against the railing that led to the DJ area.

"Yeah, but it's some of your best work." The smaller girl had known about Chloe ever since she moved in with Beca four months ago. Maggie was still finishing college and had just started her senior year when she moved in. Beca let her into the guest room,and they got along wonderfully. Beca didn't bother Maggie about her art, and Maggie didn't bother Beca when she was making music. It was something that just happened naturally, and Beca rather enjoyed it.

"Yeah.. I know. But they're sad and depressing." Beca shrugged, going to get a drink of water from the bar. "Maybe I'll play our song, I don't know."

"I hope you do. It's a beautiful piece." CR commented, smiling at her. Beca only nodded before going to do a soundcheck.

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"Babe, which dress should I wear?" Chloe asked, looking over at Jo who just finished buttoning up her shirt. SHe was wearing a blazer again, always loving to look casually classy.

"The dark blue one. It brings out your eyes." Jo smirked, walking up behind Chloe. She wrapped her arms around her from behind, and kissed her neck.

CHloe bit her lip and nodded before she turned in Jo's arms. "You just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" CHloe whispered, draping her arms around Jo's neck.

Jo hummed and brought their foreheads together. "Well, can you blame me? I mean, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met and I get to call you mine." She pecked Chloe's lips softly and placed her hands on her hips.

"Always the charmer." Chloe giggled, pressing her lips to Jo's before she moved to get ready.

Jo just watched her with a grin on her face. She could definitely get used to this kind of living.


	2. How to Save a Life

**A/N: Here's chapter 2, my lovely readers. **

* * *

**Monday Night, November 23rd **

The club was pumping in the best way possible. Beca had met a bunch of friends, and even Ashlynn showed up. Beca was having a blast, and she loved that everyone was loving her newer mixes. Everyone was dancing and having a good time, and soon enough was Beca's break. She put a few tracks on autoplay before she stepped over to the bar, meeting with CR, Maggie, and James.

"Beca, you're doing awesome out there!" James told her over the loud music.

Beca smiled at him and gave him a high five. "Thanks- I'm glad they're loving the new material. I've been working on it for a while." She explained, leaning against the bar and asking for a water. "I actually almost didn't play the Paramore mash-up."

"Why?" CR asked, sipping from her martini.

"I didn't feel it was ready. It was still a little rough in some places." The DJ explained with a shrug. She was very picky about her own work, and sometimes it got the better of her. "Plus I was sure if I wanted to use the tempo and bass line from 'Emergency' or 'All I Wanted'."

Her friends nodded and they fell into a small conversation, with Beca occasionally sipping from her water. At some point she said goodbye to them for the time being and headed back up to the booth., the glow of her laptop illuminating her face with the dimmest of blue and white colors. It almost made her look sick. She transitioned into her Ed Sheeran mash-up, and when she looked out into the crowd, that's when she saw her.

Chloe Beale had just entered the building.

Beca swallowed thickly and went back to her music, letting the mix play through. She chewed her lip and clicked on the "our song", setting it up to play after the current mix.

_Some things we don't talk about,_

_rather do without,_

_and just hold the smile._

_Falling in and out of love,_

_ashamed and proud of,_

_together all the while_

BEca noticed how people started to pair up and begin slow dancing. She bit her lip and swallowed again as she looked at Chloe, with Aubrey, Damian, and some other guy.

_Where did I go wrong?_

_I lost a friend_

_somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up_

_with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life_

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When Chloe walked into the club, the last thing she wanted to hear was what she and Beca dubbed as "their song". It hurt, hearing "Never Say Never" again, but when the song changed into a slowed down version of "How to Save a Life", she looked up at the booth and saw her. Her heart stopped as she saw Beca again for the first time in months. She gulped and looked away at the first chance she got, diverting her attention to Jo who was leading her, Aubrey, and Damian towards the bar.

"Chloe, are you okay?" Aubrey asked, her eyes sincere as the redhead took a seat.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I just… need a drink." Chloe's expression was blank as she fought against looking at the brunette in the booth. Jo had noticed Chloe's irregular behavior and ordered them all shots, Aubrey happily setting a tab.

Once they finished the first line of shots, Jo gently took Chloe to the dance floor, where they slowly swayed to the voice of Isaac Slade and Beca's mashing together in perfect harmony. IT hurt Chloe's heart, knowing she was dancing with someone else to _their _song, but she couldn't do anything about it. She was with Jo now, and no matter how much it hurt, that was the way things were.

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Beca had to keep herself from screaming out in agony when she saw Chloe dancing with the guy who arrived with them. To their song, nonetheless. Once the song was _finally _over, Beca merged it to a faster beat, but that didn't stop the guy from dancing with Chloe, or from Chloe kissing him when he got too close. Beca was visibly deflating as she watched on, barely paying attention when James came up next to her.

"Rough night?" He asked, crossing his arms as he watched her typing away at her laptop, more than likely setting up a list for it to autoplay.

"Kind of." The girl mumbled, easily creating transitions from song to song. That's what she did, why she was there that night. To make the rocky things smooth, not get her heart torn out of her chest.

"You know, I can take over if you need to bail." James offered, but Beca shook her head. She didn't want the owner to be locked up as an amateur DJ all night.

"No, I've got it. I may just need to take another break here soon. Things are.. yeah." She explained, adjusting her headphones as she looked at her friend. "Before I break something, I mean. I've got enough songs lined up for the rest of the night, anyways."

"Go take one. I'll keep an eye on your stuff." James suggested, gently nudging Beca when she didn't move.

Beca sighed and nodded, exiting the DJ stand before she walked over to the bartender. She asked him which tab the redhead in the blue dress was under, and when she was told it was Aubrey Posen, Beca chewed her lip. Aubrey probably hated her. Nevertheless, she told him to switch the tab to her own, then gave him a napkin with a scribbled number on it to give to Ms. Posen. Hopefully Aubrey will either call her or she'll give it to Chloe.

Once she was out of the back doors of the club, Beca released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She pulled out her pack and lit up a cigarette (she refused to quit, especially after moving), before leaning against the cool brick wall. It was a warm night, which meant Maggie was going to blast the AC. Beca didn't mind it, really. It wasn't that much money, and she could handle it. It reminded her of home, when Scott kept the house at at least 50 degrees.

As she exhaled she looked up at the sky, and noticed that you could barely see the stars at night in downtown LA. IT was just like New York City at night. It was a beauty in itself, but you could never see the natural beauty hidden behind the smog and lights that blocked out the navy sky and turned it into a charcoal black.

A does that do a person, makes them see things from a whiole new perspective.

And as she stomped out the cigarette and headed back into the club, more relatively calm than before, she completely ignored Chloe, her boyfriend, Aubrey, and Damian.

_Because who really needed to dwell in the past, when the success of the future is just ahead? _That's what Beca thought as she changed to the last song of the night, and watched for the first time in a while as the quad of people she wanted to avoid walked over to the bar, and she smiled when the bartender graciously handed the note to Aubrey when the blonde asked for the tab.

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Chloe laughed as she moved against Jo, keeping the girl close to her. When it was announced that the club was to close soon, Chloe chewed her lip and looked up at Beca before she was dragged by Beca over to the bar. She pulled Jo with her, and as Chloe leaned against the bar, Jo wrapped her arms around her. Chloe hummed and leaned into Jo's touch as her girlfriend kissed along her neck, while she listened to Aubrey talk to the bartender.

"What do you mean, my tab's been paid for?" Aubrey growled, obviously the sober one.

"Someone asked me to add your tab to theirs." The bartender explained.

"Who?"

The bartender nodded up towards the DJ stand as he dried a cup. "Told me to give you this." He added, reaching into his pocket and handing the napkin to the blonde.

Aubrey looked down at the note, then over at the DJ booth. She huffed and shoved the napkin into her purse. With a nodded thank you to the bartender, she asked Damian to take Jo and Chloe back to the hotel, and she'd meet up with them later. When Damian gave her the okay she pushed through the crowd of exiting people, running into Beca as the brunette was crossing to go to her friends.

"Aubrey?" A girl asked, and Aubrey looked over to see that it was Cynthia Rose. The girl smiled and pushed off the bar, walking over to Aubrey to give her a hug. "How are ya, friend?" She was obvoiusly a little tipsy, and the other girl just laughed along with CR, for no reason what so ever.

Aubrey smiled uncomfortably and awkwardly hugged CR back, but then quickly pulled back. "Fine, I'm fine." She eyed CR and the other girl. "Beca, can I talk to you?" She asked, nodding towards a more seculded area.

Beca bit her lip but nodded and followed Abrey, motioning for her roommate to stay close to CR and not to do anything stupid. She crossed her arms once they got away from the loudness of everyone leaving. "What?"

"Don't 'what' me. You paid my tab?" Aubrey questionjed, and Beca nodded. "And gave me your number? Are you insane?!"

Beca sighed. "No, I'm not. Just please.. give it to her. I just want her to have it, okay?"

"You left her all alone at Barden after cheating and you expect me to just give her your numbner so she can fall back into your trap?"

Beca shook her head. "No-"

"She's happy, Beca. _Without _you. She's got Jo. Just leave her alone, alright? I can't see her hurt like that again."

Beca had to admit, hearing that from Aubrey hurt .Aubrey knew how Beca felt about Chloe. She aslways had. "I don't want to hurt her, Aubrey, just please-"

"No, Beca!"

"-just give her my number. Let her decide-"

"Stop, Beca. You're making it worse on yourself!" Aubrey yelled, but Beca kept going.

"Just please, Aubrey. Give it to her. If she calls me and tells me she wants nothing to do with me, then I'll back off. All I'm asking from you is to give it to her. Please?" Beca pleaded, stepping up to Aubrey. "I know she's happy. I can see it. I just.. want to at least be a part of her life again. I'm going insane with this constant wondering."

Aubrey sighed and looked at the napkin in her hand, then to Beca's sincerity. She could tell that Beca was being serious, and that scared her. Beca was rarely serious. She looked the girl up and down, and noticed how she changed. This wasn't Beca, the scared, shy little girl she left in charge of the Bellas almost four years ago. This Beca was strong, confident, and above all else, in love. AUbrey could see the passion in Beca's eyes, it was the look of someone determined. Someone who would do anything for that one specific person. It was the way Damian looked around her, and the way Belle looked around Scott. It was inevitable, Beca Mitchell was irrevocably in love with Chloe Beale.

"You've got one last chance, Beca. Don't screw it up." Aubrey mumbled as she pushed past the girl and towards the exit, leaving Beca to silently celebrate with herself.

* * *

**Songs used were Never Say Never and How to Save a Life, both by The Fray.**


	3. Call Me Maybe?

**A/N: Double update! Chapter four is still currently in the works, but like with NP, I'm going to update when I can. Please stay with me with this one, too!**

**Alex Schroeder - Dani Shay**

* * *

**Tuesday, November 24th. **

The next day Beca had a list of things to do. She had another recording session with Ashlynn, then a meeting with a potential client, and then she had another gig that night. Chloe hadn't called, and Beca was beginning to think that Aubrey didn't even give her the napkin. She shrugged off the thought. If Chloe was happy without her, then she wasn't going to get in the way of Chloe's happiness. Chloe would of done the same for her.

Beca had shut of her phone so she wouldn't be distracted with the client. More people meant more publicity, which meant Beca's name out there. As much as Beca wanted that, she still had that nagging feeling in the back of her head that she was missing a call or something from Chloe. She was always paranoid.

The client was named Alex Schroeder, and if she was being honest, Beca couldn't tell if they were a girl or a boy. She felt even more like an idiot when she asked, "Is Alex short for something?"

Alex just laughed at her. "Alexandria. I know, most people assume it's Alexander."

Beca looked at her with a smile and crossed her arms. It was silent for a moment until Jon spoke up from beside her.

"So, Alex. Why exactly have you come to us, out of all the music producers in LA?"

Alex just fiddled with the strings of her striped sweatshirt as she looked at the both of them with earnest. "I wanted to be a part of something that would grow with me. Well, not just me, but still. You guys are up and coming, and I've actually been to a few of your gigs." She nodded towards Beca. "The point is, I want to educate people with the power of music, as cheesy as it sounds, and I feel like you guys can help me with that."

Beca looked at Jon who just nodded at her, then she sat up a little in her chair as she looked intently at the girl. "Can you even sing?"

Alex grinned and pulled out her guitar. "I thought you'd never ask."

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Chloe hummed softly as she busied herself, making teachers notes and grading assignments as Jo slept. It was quite early for a Tuesday, and Chloe had decided to let her girlfriend sleep in until Aubrey came to alert them of the days' activities. She had just finished the last assignment she had to grade when she heard a soft rapping at her door, indicating that it was Damian instead of Aubrey, who's knocks were so loud she probably woke up half of Japan each time she knocked.

She opened the door with a smile and furrowed her brow when she saw it was actually Aubrey, not Damian. "No Earth-shattering knocking today?" She teased, running her hand through her hair.

"Funny. I just figured you'd want some one on one time with your best friend while getting coffee. But if you're not down for it, I could always go ask Damian.."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Let me get dressed?"

Ten minutes later had Chloe and Aubrey laughing as they walked down the street, talking about times in college and after college.

"Remember when Beca almost tripped off the stage as a sophomore because Stacie missed her cue?" Chloe laughed, and Aubrey stiffened.

"I really hope you mean during a rehearsal." Aubrey's voice was dead-serious and cold.

"Well, duh. Take it easy Aubs. Beca didn't risk anything. You don't remember her telling us that story? Jesse even had it on tape because Beca wanted to ask our opinions on the routine before they went on to competition." Chloe explained as she looked around early morning LA. It was so much different compared to New York and Atlanta. It was a good different.

"I'm not very fond of things when it comes to Beca Mitchell." Aubrey was hinting at a subject drop, but she wasn't catching on.

"Speaking of Beca, did you see her at the club last night? She was the DJ."

Aubrey sighed. Of course Chloe had seen her. How could she not of? "Yeah, I did. I talked to her, too."

"Really? And you didn't tell me?"

Aubrey opened the door to the coffee shop for Chloe, then followed her inside. "I didn't tell you because you were drunk of your ass and I assumed you wouldn't remember a thing today. What, no hangover?"

Chloe just shrugged and got in line. "I'm pretty good when it comes to hangovers. I've gotten used to them. Plus, I didn't drink _that _much."

Aubrey just started at her while they gave their orders.

"So what did Beca talk about?" Chloe asked,, leaning against the counter as they waited.

Aubrey swallowed. She could either lie, and save Chloe from more heartbreak, or she could give Chloe the napkin that was still in her purse. Either or, she was bound to deal with some form of sadness sooner of later. "She uh, didn't say much."

"Did she ask about me?"

Aubrey sighed. She wanted Chloe to be happy. "Yeah, she told me to give you this." She explained, forcing a smile as she reached into her purse and handed Chloe the napkin while they grabbed up their coffees (and the ones for Jo and Damian).

"She gave you her number to give to me?" Chloe asked, looking at the napkin in awe.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes, she did. She wanted to talk to you but I sent you away before she could. I wanted to look out for you."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I know you when you're drinking. I didn't want you to jump her when you need to think about the best thing to do for you, and for Jo." Aubrey explained, holding the door again. "I like her, surprisingly, and I don't want you to blow it with her because you decided to throw it all away for a DJ that ditched you the moment that things got hard."

Chloe huffed. Even though Aubrey didn't know the entire story with Chris, about the abuse and all Beca actually went through, she was right. Even though it didn't always feel right, Chloe was happy. She was happy with Jo in her life and things were becoming alright for her again. She didn't want to blow that all away.

"I'll call her in a few days, alright? After I think it through."

Aubrey just smiled.

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**Thursday, November 26th - Thanksgiving**

Beca had been on edge for two days. She hadn't gotten a call from Aubrey or Chloe yet, nor had she seen any of them. Within the days of her slight panic, she was able to finish recording the main tracks with Ashlynn, and she and Jon had signed Alex on, and soon were going to start recording with her. Things were going great for her so far, minus the Chloe thing. Up until she realized it was Thanksgiving.

This year, Beca was more than likely going to be spending Thanksgiving alone. CR had flown back to Georgia for her family, and Maggie had flown back to Minnesota. Beca would of flown back home, but her dad spends Thanksgiving with Sheila's family. Usually she'd jump at the chance to see Scott and Isabelle, but she wasn't feeling it this year. She used to always got to her mothers house for Thanksgiving, but that isn't an option. So instead her Thanksgiving consisted of Take-Out and Netflix. Or, at least it did until her phone rang. The number was unknown, so she was very confused when she picked up.

"Hello?"

"_Beca, hey."_

Beca paled. CHloe had actually called her. "Chloe.. I'm so glad you called. How're you?"

"_I'm good… Aubrey said Isabelle told her you didn't come home for Thanksgiving." _

Beca sighed. "No, I didn't. I didn't want to see Sheila this weekend. Why?"

"_Well… I was wondering if you wanted to join us for Thanksgiving? I mean, we're just going to this diner not too far from here… But it'd be nice to see you again." _

Beca swallowed. "Uhh, sure. What time?"

"_How does 7:30 sound?"_

She checked the clock. She had an hour to get ready. "Yeah, yeah sure. I'll meet you there, then?"

"_Yep! I'll text you the address." _

"Okay.. cool. Thanks for calling, Chlo." She paused. "I missed you."

Silence.

Beca was about to give up hope when she heard Chloe whisper over the phone, "_I miss you too."_

She couldn't wipe the smile of her face even if she tried.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Standing outside the diner, Beca had never felt more nervous. She was really getting to spend time with Chloe (and others, but that didn't matter) for the first time in five months. She spent so much time on looking just right, in hopes to make a better impression than "The DJ at that one club". It felt like it had been so long since they really interacted in person, and a part of Beca was actually really anxious to pick back up where they left off as friends. She was slightly worried about how this was going to play out, especially with Aubrey, but soon enough she was walking through the doors of the diner, and towards the table where she saw three familiar faces.

"Beca, hey!" Chloe grinned, sliding out of her end of the corner booth to pull the brunette in for a hug. This was very confusing for Beca, up until she remember the redheads personality and how bubbly she could be. She hugged the girl back tightly, relishing in the feeling of comfort and home. Being in Chloe's arms always felt like home.

"Hey, Chlo." She whispered, her smile fading a little as she caught Aubrey's judging glares when the duo split. "Hey, Aubrey. Damian." She received a nod from the man, who smiled his usual smile. Damian was never one to hold a grudge, especially when it came to someone clue to who he considered family (if Scott and Isabelle ever get married) like Beca.

"So you're the infamous Beca. Chloe couldn't shut up about you. I'm Jo, Chloe's girlfriend." Jo, the person whom Beca thought was Chloe's _boy_friend, stated, holding out her hand for Beca to shake, and she did.

"Really now? Hm, well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Jo."

The quad of people were soon making small talk and eating, even though Beca would get the occasional glare from Aubrey. She knew that the blonde was only being protective of Chloe and she understood why. But now, Chloe seemed genuinely happy. And Beca couldn't bring herself to feel jealous of her. She was the cause of all of this, after all.

They were almost finished with their meals when Beca's phone went off, vibrating in the pocket of her leather jacket. She quickly pulled it out and exited the booth, making her way to the bathroom to avoid the noise.

"Yeah?"

"_Beca, do you think you can play around with the recorded tracks we did with Ashlynn and make harmonies with them?" _

"Why can't we just have Ashlynn record them? It's not that difficult, Jon."

"_Because Miss O'Daire has Laryngitis as of today, and will not be able to record the harmonies in time. This album needs to be done by next week so we can have it on the shelves by Christmas." _

Beca huffed. "I can't do all that by next week, Jon! I have a life- I can't spend all my time working on auto-tuned harmonies and half-assed back-up singing!"

"_I don't care, Beca! We _need _to get this done if we want to make Christmas sales!" _

Beca groaned. "I don't _care _to make Christmas sales, Jon. Ashlynn needs a break anyways. I'm not working on _her _voice without her consent."

Beca could hear Jon scoffing from the other line. _"Fine. One week. If she's not better, we're doing the harmonizing thing on our own." _

Beca swallowed. She didn't want to betray her client like that, but Jon was right ."Alright, fine. It's a deal."

"_Great. How's your Thanksgiving going?" _

"I'm out with Chloe and friends."

"_Oh? I'd assume you'd be flying home."_

"I don't really ever go home anymore."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Chloe was getting worried. Beca still hadn't come back- what if something bad happened? Chloe couldn't relive seeing Beca like she was with her mom again. It was horrible. She excused herself and ignored the look from Aubrey as she stepped into the bathroom.

"Yeah, alright. I'll be fine, don't worry… Yeah, I guess we can… So, tomorrow or Saturday?.. Yeah, I can do tomorrow. Eight like always? Don't forget to stop by beforehand. You know I have trouble getting up." Beca was pacing, but stopped when she saw Chloe.

"Jon, I gotta go. I'll call you later." She hung up the phone and smiled at Chloe.

"Everything alright?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, Chlo. Let's go finish up, yeah?" Beca offered.

"Yeah, okay." She couldn't help but wonder who this "Jon" person was.

The duo walked back to the table, and the small group had chatted up a storm .Everyone had finished and before she knew it, Beca was walking with them back to their hotel room .She swallowed as she walked with them up to their room, slightly not wanting to be there. SHe honestly felt like the odd man out. Aubrey had Damian, and Chloe had Jo. After a round of Monopoly and a few shots later, Beca decided to head home, walking the lonely road that led back to her empty apartment by herself, wondering what would happen in the future with Chloe currently in LA.


	4. Give Your Heart a Break

**A/N: I'm loving how you guys are reacting to the story! This one is a little shorter in my opinion, mostly due to the amount of dialogue, but it's got some major plot points. Enjoy!**

**Ethan Kulpa - Joey Graceffa**

* * *

**Friday, November 27**

"What the hell did you just ask me?" Beca asked astoundingly, almost spitting out her coffee.

"Beca, you know how the press responds to these kinds of things-"

"Screw the press! Look at Neil Patrick Harris! Ellen Degeneres! Freaking _Jim Parsons_! Just because I like chicks doesn't mean I have to sacrifice my career to be who I am, Jonathan! The world is changing!" Beca's voice was filling with anger as her cheeks turned red. They were sitting in the conference room of the studio, discussing Beca's publicity. Word had gotten out somehow about Beca's past with Chloe (mostly the blogs about the ICCA world), and rumors were starting to fly.

"Beca, you know you won't get business if the world confirmed the fact that you're gay." Jon explained, trying to calm Beca down. "We just need to tone down the rumors somehow."

"And how do we do that?" She asked, standing to pace.

"You're going to find a boyfriend."

"No. Fuck that. I can't, Jon. I can't." Beca pleaded, her throat suddenly dry. The last man she was with was Chris.

"Beca, you have to-"

"I don't have to do anything, Jonathan! I don't care about my publicity! I can not date any guy right now!" And with that, Beca stormed out of the room and went to her office.

Jon sighed and ran a hand over his hair, and leaned back in the chair.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Beca sat in her studio with her headphones on and music blaring as she scribbled down notes for future mixes. She was fuming. She hated Jon right now. She physically could not date a man now, especially after what went down with Chris. Sure, it was months ago, but it still haunted her to this day and she hated the man for it. Having any man in her life in a romantic sense right now was something she didn't want. She didn't want to be afraid again. As she scribbled words down, she was so focused that she didn't hear the door open. When someone patted her shoulder, she jumped at least six feet in the air.

"Jesus Christ!" She exclaimed, throwing off her headphones, the music continuing to blare. She whipped around, ready to yell at Jon for bothering her, but stopped when she saw that it wasn't her manager.

"Hey...Sorry. I uh, I couldn't find Jon anywhere and I could see your light on from down the hall."

Beca smiled a little. "It's alright, Alex."

"Okay, cool. Could we maybe record something today?" Alex seemed so innocent, with a question so simple and eager. Beca couldn't say no.

"Yeah, of course. Got any good material?" The brunette teased, standing up from her chair.

Alex adjusted her guitar case as she walked next to Beca and towards the recording studio. "Yeah, I mean, _I _think it's good. I havne't had anyone else listen to it yet."

Beca chewed her lip and unlocked the studio, letting Alex in. "Why don't you paly it for me for the soundcheck?"

Alex grinned and nodded, heading into the studio. They spent a few hours, just working together with Beca giving Alex pointers when she needed them. The girl had potential, and Beca knew if they stuck with her that Alex could really make it. Beca had high hopes for her. Just like she did with Ashlynn. Beca could share the passsion that these girls did. She loved making music, just like they did. If was why she loved her job.

"How many tracks did you want to do tonight?" Beca asked into the mic. "It's already two."

Alex's eyes widened. "Really? Shit!" She exclaimed, rushing to put her guitar away. "Sorry, Beca, I'm late for work!" She stated, and Beca watched her very amusedly. "I'll see you later!"

Beca shook her head when Alex left and finished what she had with the tracks, then closed up the studio for the day. Jon had already left, probably after her outburst. She locked up the building and started to walk, just basking in the warmth that was the sun during midday Los Angeles. She put on her sunglasses and just enjoyed her time, stopping by a coffee shop to pick up an iced coffee. She walked into the shop and froze slightly, her eyes widening behind the tilted glasses. After swallowing thickly and making sure she looked okay, she walked up, and gently hugged Chloe from behind, startling the girl.

"Jesus, Beca! Way to scare me!" Chloe shrieked, glaring when Beca laughed. Chloe was alone, and went to order, but Beca cut her off.

"One iced nonfat soy mocha with a shot of espresso, and one iced french vanilla cap with two pumps of caramel." Beca stated, pulling out her wallet.

"You know my coffee order?" Chloe asked, slightly confused.

"Well, yeah. I got it for you so much that it embedded itself into my brain." Beca joked, paying for both of their coffees.

"You don't have to pay for mine, Beca. I can do it."

"Let me pay. I kinda wanna catch up with you, one on one. Please?" Beca asked, looking at Chloe with almost doe eyes.

Chloe hesitated, but nodded. She really missed Beca, and she'd love to hang out with her alone. She knew nothing would happen, but Beca was her friend first, and she's glad that they could still be friends. "Alright, but just this once."

Beca beamed and picked up the coffees before handing Chloe hers. "We can go back to my apartment, if you want. Maggie is still out of town and I think CR is coming back tonight."

"CR? As in Cynthia Rose?" Chloe asked as they walked down the busy street.

Beca nodded. "Yeah, she's my neighbor."

The duo fell into easy and simple small talk about little things, and it brought back memories for them both. They fell into step as they walked, passing Chloe's hotel before turning on Beca's street. It was only when they were in Beca's room- one that slightly resembled her room in Atlanta- that they fully began to catch up, with soft music playing in the background.

Chloe learned in that small amount of time things that she wished she could of experienced with Beca, like the start of her production agency. She listened as Beca went on about how happy she was with her clients, even though there were only two of them, and how she became roommates with Maggie. Chloe silently wished that she hadn't of overreacted like she had that night, that she'd of listened to the girl, she could of been sharing this with Beca.

But she can't think that way. Not now. Not when she had Jo waiting for her in the hotel room.

So she pushed the thoughts aside.

An hour or two passed and in between jokes and small occasions of "remember when" Beca had learned about Chloe's new job, and how she met Jo. She learned that Damian and Aubrey were set to get married soon, and that Aubrey was still hesitant to even invite Beca to come, which was understandable.

When Beca got up to go to the bathroom, her phone began to vibrate on the bed .Chloe looked at it and bit her lip- this Jonathan guy was calling. It had to be the same person Beca was talking to last night- It couldn't be a coincidence. She jumped when the bathroom door opened and Beca emerged, a smile on her face.

"Uh… Your phone was ringing." Chloe stated, and Beca furrowed her brow. "Who's Jonathan, Beca?"

Beca picked up her phone and dismissed the missed call. "He's an asshole who refuses to take no for an answer." She scoffed, sitting on the bed.

"Is he harassing you? Beca.. are you in another relationship?"

Beca looked at Chloe a moment, then laughed. "Jonathan isn't my boyfriend, Chlo. He's my manager."

Chloe smiled at her. "But you're not in another relationship?"

"No, Chloe.. The last person I dated was the person I'm so desperately in love with." Beca swallowed, putting her heart on her sleeve for once.

"...Chris?"

Beca's breath hitched at the mention of his name. She had left Chris at Barden. She didn't want him near her ever again. "Chloe… Did anyone tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"The story. The reason why I left, all those months ago."

"Beca, the only person I know who knew the slightest information was Scott and he refused to tell me."

Beca sighed. "The night of my grad party… the night I left," She looked down. "The night you saw what you saw, it really wasn't what it looked like." She explained, and Chloe looked at her. "Chris said he wanted to talk. H-he apologized, and said we were meant to be together.." She saw Chloe stiffen. "I.. I tried to leave, tried to get away because I was scared.. and he grabbed me. He grabbed me, and when I went to yell he kissed me. When you saw.. I tried again but he just grabbed me harder. I had a bruise for almost a month." She swallowed and felt Chloe take her hand. "I had to kick him in the nads just to get free." She looked up at the redhead. "THat night was the worst night of my life. I was going to ask you to come with me to LA, so we could be together, but I felt like you hated me, like I let you down… Please, Chloe, don't hate me."

Chloe looked at her carefully; Beca was almost in tears. She felt her own heart breaking as she saw and felt this girl almost begging for forgiveness for something that she didn't even do. She swallowed thickly and laced their fingers together, a feeling that she missed so much. Something she didn't have with Jo.

"Please, Chloe. I never meant to hurt you."

Chloe licked her lips and pulled Beca into a hug. Beca held onto her tightly, and when they pulled back, they noticed how close they really were. Beca slowly started to lean in, and Chloe followed her. Their lips barely brushed when Beca's phone started to vibrate again.

Chloe saw Beca hesitate and pull back, picking up her phone.

"Hello?..What do you want now?...Can't it wait? I'm busy...But I already locked up for today!...Fine." She hung up the phone with a huff.

"Everything alright?"

"Want to come with me to my studio?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The walk to Beca's studio was short, and filled with small talk. Chloe told her about projects she was having her class do, and how she was giving them a love of music. Beca was happy for her. She didn't really have a choice. When they entered the unlocked studio, Beca felt a wave of unease wash over her. Something was up.

She led Chloe through the hallways until they got to her office, where Jon was waiting for her.

"What do you want, Jon?" She snapped, noticing how he glared at Chloe. Beca subconsciously took Chloe's hand, and Chloe didn't seem fazed.

Jon's eyes fell on their joined hands. "I found someone for you." He faked a smile.

Beca swallowed and she walked in, seeing someone sitting on her couch. He was well built and had soft eyes, and Beca swore she saw him somewhere before.

"Beca, this is Ethan Kulpa. He's a new actor over at Paramount. I contacted a few friends of mine and stumbled upon his manager. It seems like you two have a lot in common." Jon joked ,and went to leave Beca, Chloe, and Ethan alone. "Have fun."

Ethan smiled at her. "Beca, it's nice to meet you. Like Jonathan said, I'm Ethan."

Beca nodded slowly and pulled Chloe over to her desk. "Nice to meet you too. This is Chloe."

"She your girlfriend?" Both girls paled. Beca immediately dropped Chloe's hand, and Ethan frowned a little.

"Uh, no. She's not." The brunette swallowed and saw Chloe's frown match Ethan's, but she didn't know why. She and Chloe weren't together. No matter what people said.

"Shame. She's cute. If I wasn't with my boyfriend I'd love to get with you." Ethan was clearly joking, but Beca was getting defensive.

"She's got a girlfriend, Koopa Kid." Beca sneered, stepping in front of Chloe before realizing what she did, and faked out by going to sit in her chair, Chloe sitting on the other end of the couch next to Ethan.

Ethan, however, caught the movement and smirked. "Nice nickname, and relax, I was joking. I'm 100% gay, not that you're both not attractive, you really are."

Beca flushed and Chloe laughed. "Why thank you, Ethan. But Beca was right, I have a girlfriend, her name is Jo." Chloe confirmed and Beca's mood visibly got worse. Ethan caught this as well.

"Then why am I here?" He asked, more to Beca. "Not that I don't mind the place."

"Chloe and I have a past. Jon knows this. Chloe and I have strong chemistry, still, apparently, because Jon thinks that if people keep seeing me with Chloe, they'll notice the chemistry and rumors will continue to spread. You're here to keep them from spreading." Beca explained and sat up in her chair, and Chloe looked shocked. She didn't know any of that.

"That's entirely stupid." Ethan commented. "What exactly do we have to do?"

"Hold hands, kiss, visit movie premieres, be seen in public doing coupley stuff. Is your boyfriend okay with that?"

Ethan sadly nodded. "He's not exactly out yet. He's an actor, as well, so he has to stay on the down low."

Beca looked over at CHloe. "That sucks, man. I hate that."

Everything went silent for a moment. Then Chloe piped up. "What if we go on a 'double date'? You can bring your boyfriend and Beca and I will plan a dinner. It'll be fun and maybe spark rumors?"

Beca and Ethan looked at Chloe. "It's a good plan, you guys. You and Beca act like a couple, and we'll act as just friends, but when we get to be private, it'll just be between us."

Beca chewed her lip and looked at Ethan. "We can go to my place after, Maggie won't be back till tomorrow afternoon."

"What about the paparazzi?"

"You can say that you moved in with Cynthia Rose, and Ethan can crash on Maggie's bed or something." Beca told them both, and Chloe nodded.

"What about Aubrey, or Jo?" Chloe asked as she fumbled with her phone. She was starting to feel guilty about what happened in Beca's room, and Beca could see this. It hurt her, knowing that she almost did to Jo what Chloe had done to Chris.

"We'll figure something out. Last resort be I walk you home through the backways late at night, where there's no paps or anything." Beca smiled at their plan, it was almost too perfect. And Beca was only hoping that Chloe would be willing to stay the night with her, just like all the nights before.


	5. No Regrets, Just Love (Part I)

**A/N: Hey guys, _so _so sorry that this is long overdue. I've been working forever on this chapter, and it's only part I. Part II should be out hopefully sometime this week, and then I'm already working on chapter six. This is kind of a filler chapter, just things to move the story along and introduce things for future plotlines. I hope you enjoy!**

**Cody Owens - Hayley Williams**

* * *

The night had gone without a hitch. The media got pictures of Ethan and Beca acting all couple-like and such, and deep down, they were both repulsed. The rest of the dinner was like that, and soon enough they were back at Beca's house.

"I'll lead them away then you sneak out. Meet me at my place. The door is unlocked." Dylan Schafer, Ethan's boyfriend, whispered as he walked out the door with a peck to Ethan's lips. Dylan was more well known to the paparazzi than Ethan, so it was more than likely that they'd follow him over Ethan despite the latter's more recent publicity. Dylan had a mental script already prepared, just in case he was feeling ballsy to the press.

When the door shut, Ethan sighed as he leaned against it. They had figured out a game plan, and while Ethan wasn't happy about it, he had no choice. This was for the better. He walked over to the chair and sat down, Beca and Chloe sitting opposite him on the couch. The hours that the four of them sat there, they had discussed what they were to do, if they were to talk to the press about the new "Becan" relationship. What they came up with was: Ethan had come with his movie director to Beca's studio to talk about her doing the score for the movie (which was true), but Beca declined and recommended her friend Jesse Swanson in Atlanta (also true). Ethan and Beca got to talking, and soon dating. Dylan is Ethan's best friend, as is Chloe to Beca. They didn't push too much on Chloe, as that she was only in LA until the 29th. If any other questions were to be asked by the public, they'd simply reply with "no comment" and talk it over with the other three later. It was a pretty sturdy plan.

"It hurts, huh?" Chloe asked, nursing her glass of wine. Beca sat a decent distance away from her, but close enough to where Chloe could rest her hand on Beca's thigh.

"So much." Ethan whispered, shaking his head. "I just want to hold his hand in public, and kiss him when I want to. He's had beard after beard and it hurts a lot. It was never this hard before I signed on with Paramount. We were roommates- his beard would come over and she'd stay in the guest room with a friend or something. There were no rumors to worry about. No paparazzi hounding my house and forcing him to move out."

Beca could feel sympathy for him. Lately, there's been paparazzi at her building on occasion, hounding her about her clients and future albums. It was all quite overwhelming at times, and Beca actually missed the Barden days sometimes because of it.

"You said Dylan has had beards. Does he have one now?" Beca asked, watching as the man focused to compose himself.

"Yeah, he does. Has had the same one for the past year and a half. Her name is Victoria, she's his co-star in his newest movie." Ethan explained, opening his phone and showing the girls a picture of Dylan and Victoria. Dylan had a different smile than when he was with Ethan. It looked a lot more fake with Victoria.

"I've seen her before. She was on one of those reality shows Aubrey is obsessed with." Chloe shrugged her shoulders, and Ethan looked at her. "What? She was. As a guest star." Ethan sighed.

"What's your guys' story?" Beca asked Ethan, moving away from the Victoria topic.

Ethan smiled sadly. "We've been together for about four years. Dylan moved to LA from London with his sister, Daria, for a change of scenery. We met at a callback for a supporting role in a movie, and he got it over me. We started off as best friends, and he moved in with me when his sisters boyfriend moved in with her. We were so close, but one night, everything changed." His smile grew and he looked at both the girls. "Yeah, we got drunk, but we kissed. It changed our friendship for the better. We were happy, and Daria and her boyfriend supported us. THat's all that mattered. Dylan kept getting roles and I took a break from auditioning. When his name got popular, his director asked him and his co-star to date to gain publicity for the then-movie. They complied. He moved out later that summer, but came over when he could. It was good.. for the first few months." His face fell.

"Then he stopped coming over and stopped calling as often. I kept hearing 'Dyltoria' everywhere, and they became known as the inseparable couple. I know he doesn't do what he does on purpose. He loses track of time and where he's at. We all do. All that matters is that he's mine when we're alone." Ethan's smile returned, and Beca matched his smile. She was glad that he was happy.

"I'm glad that you two are still going strong. It's not everyday you see a closed relationship that lasts in Hollywood."

"Thanks for the encouragement, Chloe." Ethan joked, and they all laughed.

A moment in comfortable silence passed, then Ethan spoke again. "What's your guys' story? I know you said you aren't together, but there's gotta be something that sparked these rumors."

Beca looked at Chloe, who started speaking after she took Beca's hand, and squeezed it.

"I met Beca my senior year at Barden University. My roommate and best friend, Aubrey, and I were looking for members for our a capella group, The Barden Bellas." Chloe started.

"Which was totally lame, might I add." Beca piped, causing Ethan to chuckle.

"Shut up. Anyway, we were looking for new members. It wasn't going well. Then… Then I saw Beca. It She was this small, intimidating little alt girl and I was immediately interested. Aubrey, however, wasn't."

"Aubrey Posen hated and still hates me to this day." Chloe rolled her eyes.

"She doesn't hate you."

"I walked up to their booth because I saw Chloe pointing at me. At the time, I was still in the closet. Yeah, I found her attractive, who wouldn't? But I wasn't about to jump over the table and devour her. Plus, I thought she was too… preppy."

"I was not!" Beca chuckled and squeezed her hand.

"Yes, you were. I told them I couldn't sing, simple as that." Beca finished.

"But you _can _sing, Beca." Ethan added. "I've heard you."

"She gained that confidence from me." Chloe joked, and Beca glared.

"Only because you barged into my shower!"

Ethan paled. "Wait, you walked in on her in the shower!?"

"Yes! And I didn't even know her name!" Beca argued.

Chloe sighed. "Yes, I did that. It was co-ed, but it's in the past. Oh well. Back to the story. I heard her singing, and I invited her to the a capella auditions. I didn't think she'd show, but she did. Singing with a cup and everything."

"After I thoroughly tried to talk myself out of it. I just couldn't say no to her." Beca finished, and Ethan awwed.

"So she joined the team?"

"Hell yeah!" Chloe exclaimed, and they laughed. "We ended up growing so close that it shocked everyone that she kissed Jesse and not me when we won nationals that year. She was totally oblivious."

Beca huffed. "When did you two start dating?" Ethan asked.

"After some bad events. Jesse and I split my senior year and I started dating this guy named Chris after Chloe kissed me the first time. I dated Chris out of personal fear of what people think, and I thought he was a really cool guy. Straight A's, killer looks, and a strong voice." Beca's voice got softer. "Then I played the New Year's Eve event last year by pure luck. Chloe and I… We almost slept together that night, and I was still with Chris. When I got back to Barden, I told him and…" Beca started to breathe quickly, flashbacks invading her mind. Chloe was quick to wrap an arm around her and hold her close.

"Let's just say that Chris is an asshole who doesn't deserve any girl, let alone Beca. After everything went down, we started dating because, well, as you can see-"

"She makes me feel safe." Beca finished, chewing on her lip when she got her breathing under control.

"Why'd you guys split up?"

"Again, because of Chris. A misunderstanding of many, and it led Beca here. I'm now with my girlfriend, and we live in Atlanta." Chloe explained as Beca sat up.

"If it hadn't of been for Chris, we'd probably still be together." Beca stated softly, and Ethan felt his heart break for the two. It was obvious Beca still loved Chloe so much, but they were never given a second chance.

He was broken out of his trance when his phone went off, signaling a text from Dylan. "Oh, that's him. I gotta go, guys. I'll see you later." Ethan smiled at them and left, leaving Beca and Chloe alone.

They sat there a moment and Beca soon broke the lingering silence between them. "I uh, I can walk you home if you want." She whispered, pushing back all the feelings that came up from the conversation with Ethan.

"No."

"Okay.. Do you want to watch a movie, then?"

"No."

"Chloe, what do you want, then?" Beca asked, growing frustrated with Chloe's short answers.

Chloe was silent. She knew what she wanted, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Saying it out loud made it real, and would mean hurting Jo. She couldn't say it. She couldn't.

"I want you to kiss me." But she said it anyway.

Beca hesitated before she slowly leaned over and brought her lips to Chloe's. It felt like home. Every kiss they've shared came flooding back to her and she found herself moving closer when Chloe deepened the kiss. She knew she should stop. That this was wrong. But she couldn't. She was in love with Chloe, and she didn't know when she'd ever get this chance again. So she pulled Chloe on top of her, their lips and tongues dueling with a passion that wasn't forgotten. Chloe showed no signs of stopping. So Beca didn't. Even when Beca pulled Chloe's top up and off, they didn't stop, not until both were spent, and sleeping into the morning.

Beca just hated to realize that Chloe had left long before she even woke up.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Sunday, December 20th**

Beca never wanted the next time she saw her brother to be days before Christmas. She loved Scott, and hated that she couldn't visit him more often, but there wasn't anything she could do. Scott understood this, and he and Isabelle took it upon themselves to become some of the newest Bellas and Trebles. It almost stressed her out, because she didn't know who to root for. But once a Bella, always a Bella. It was just the way things were.

Beca never called or texted Chloe after their rendezvous almost a month ago. Chloe had sent her many texts and left her numerous voicemails, but Beca couldn't bring it upon herself to answer. Chloe had left without even saying goodbye and that really hurt Beca. So she just kept hitting ignore.

The DJ drove past Barden University with a soft smile due to the memories. She had just arrived back in Atlanta and while she was jet-lagged, she still had a great amount of energy. She pulled into the apartment parking lot and gathered her luggage, bringing it up to the place before opening it with her key.

"Jesus Christ! Don't you two ever do that in your room?!" Beca shrieked, shielding her eyes as she went to leave again. She slammed the door and heard mumbling and rustling from the other side. Beca just shook her head and re-entered, seeing Scott and Isabelle now on either side of the couch.

"That's more like it." She grinned and dragged her bag back to her old room,pausing when she got to the threshold. She took a deep breath and entered, seeing everything the same. But something was missing.

"Scott? Where's my sweatshirt?" The brunette asked, setting her suitcase on her bed. SHe had left her sweatshirt on her desk when she left, purposely leaving it there so that she'd have at least one of them when she came back (she was always a terrible packer).

Scott entered, fixing his hair. He furrowed his brow and scanned the room, then went to check the laundry room. "Uhh, I don't think it's here."

"What do you mean?"

"I think Chloe took it." Scott called back, and Beca left her room.

"When was Chloe in my room?" Beca went into the fridge and pulled out a can of soda, earning a playful glare from her brother.

"The night after you left, I think. She was looking for you." Scott explained, taking Beca's can, opening it, and taking a long drink from it before handing it back to his sister, who smacked his arm before hopping onto the counter.

"Why didn't she mention taking it?"

Isabelle walked into the kitchen before Scott could answer and pulled out a snack from the cupboard. "Hey Beca, we've got one more Bella's rehearsal tonight before the semi-finals tomorrow, why don't you come with? Check out the newbies, scold Marie a few times, you know." The blonde asked, and Beca smiled at her.

"I'd love that. Just let me change."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Beca walked across the quad with Isabelle, discussing what the Bellas were going to perform tomorrow. From the sound of it, Marie really had a grasp on things, and she was excited to lead the Bellas to champions this year again. Beca was really hyped to see what they've come up with. When they walked up to the auditorium, Beca couldn't hide back the grin that appeared on her face. She pushed open the doors with Isabelle trailing behind her, and walked right into the rehearsal.

"Beca!" Marie exclaimed, waving the girl over. "You're back!"

When Beca walked over to her, the slightly taller girl pulled her into a hug. Marie hadn't changed much, only seemed to have gotten tanner in the summer months. Beca looked her over, then looked to the rest of the group. She recognized a few faces, but not all of them. They were in formation for warm ups, and Beca looked back at Marie. "Show me what you've got, Fitzgerald."

Marie smirked at her and called the girls to attention, then moved them through the warm-ups. Beca observed from the front of the room, making points in different stretches. Everyone had a pretty great form, and Beca was proud of how far the girls had come.

When Marie moved the girls into the routine, Beca kept the tempo by clapping. She watched on as the girls hit every note, and nailed every move with no slip ups. They were perfectly in sync and Beca could hear the different levels- it was amazing hearing the routine rather than performing it. Beca was mesmerized. She nodded along to the beat and when they finished, Beca applauded them.

"That was great, guys. Really great." She commented, and watched as they took a break. She sat on the piano, and watched the Bellas move around, going into their separate small groups for conversing. Isabelle bounded over to Beca, with Marie not too far behind.

"So you think we've got a chance this year? At nationals?" Marie asked, taking a drink from her water bottle. Beca looked her over and nodded at her, to which she grinned and walked away, her ponytail bouncing along behind her.

"So who's the chick with the solo?" Beca asked Isabelle, whom looked at the girls and nodded when she saw their lead.

"That's Cody Owens. She's a junior this year." Belle explained, drinking from her water bottle. "She basically blew Marie away with her audition. It's no surprise that she's our lead singer now."

Beca's eyes fell on the red-haired girl talking to Marie in the corner, and she chewed on her lip. The girl had a very powerful voice, and Beca knew she could help her get somewhere if she wanted it.

"You can stop checking her out. She's dating a Treble." Isabelle teased, and Beca nudged her arm.

"I wasn't checking her out. Who's she dating?"

Belle paled slightly. "I uh.."

Beca sighed. "It's Chris, isn't it?"

Belle nodded. "Yeah, they started dating not long after auditions. They've almost been inseparable ever since."

The DJ sighed softly and nodded, slipping off the piano when Marie called for a formation again. She kindly excused herself and left the room, leaving her to wander around Barden. She found herself walking into the radio station, and a smile appeared on her face when she heard Hailey's voice over the speaker.

"Beca? Is that you?"

Beca turned in the direction of the voice and she smiled when she saw Zachary. She hadn't seen the man in a while, and he had really changed. He was more confident, more uplifted, and he seemed genuinely happier. She only hoped that happiness was because of Jesse. "Hey, Zach. Long time no see."

"Long time no visit! What's going on in the wonderful life of Beca Mitchell? Aside from sending that director to Jesse; thanks a ton for that. He's really excited about it." Zach babbled, draping an arm over Beca's shoulders and talking with his other hand.

"So you two are together, still?"

Zach grinned at her. "Yeah, we are. And I came out to my parents. They accepted me. And they absolutely love Jesse. You could come over to our place for the Christmas party we're having. I know Jesse would love to see you again."

"A Christmas party, eh? We'll see. I'm only here for a few days and then I'm off to New York. I'm playing Times Square this year again." Beca explained, tapping the window to get Hailey's attention. The girl grinned and queued a few songs before leaving the booth.

"Times Square? BEca that's amazing!" Zach's joy was pushed aside as Hailey walked up to Beca and hugged her tightly.

"Things are so different here now. It's just Zach and I. It's not the same without you, Jesse or Seth." Hailey rambled, and Beca chuckled.

"It'll get easier. How're things going, though?"

"They're great. I get to graduate this year and well, then I'm out to LA. Maybe you could hook me up with a record deal?" Hailey joked, and Beca smirked.

"Maybe so. We'll have to see how lucky you are." Beca added, going to step into the studio. "Mind if I take over for a few hours?" She knew her brother and Isabelle would be home late, and she just wanted to lose herself in music to contradict the drama that had followed her.

"Go right ahead. Don't have too much fun." Hailey smirked, and left Beca to do her thing.


	6. Filthy Little, Filthy Little (Part II)

**A/N: I saw Pitch Perfect 2 today, and holy shit was it amazing. And it also inspired my muses for all the canon characters in this story. In other news, here's chapter 5 part 2!**

**(Because I forgot to add these last chapter)**

**Dylan Schafer - Joe Sugg**

**Daria Schafer - Zoe Sugg**

**Victoria Adams - Maia Mitchell**

* * *

**Friday, December 24th**

The Bellas did amazing that night, taking first with the Trebles not too far behind. That didn't surprise Beca; she knew one of them were going to take first. A part of her missed performing with the group of girls, but she knew that her time had passed and it was time for the new girls to take control. She was proud of them, nonetheless.

Tonight was Christmas Eve, and Aubrey and Damian were flying in that night for it. Isabelle and Scott were to fly out tomorrow night, and stay until New Years Even, just like last year. Beca wasn't sure when exactly she was flying out, but she knew she had to. She was playing the event again this year, and had no choice but to go.

Beca hustled around the kitchen, preparing things for the dinner while Scott set up the table and Isabelle went out to get drinks. Scott would of done it, but him being underaged would of made it impossible, even if the boy had a fake I.D. She had thought about joining her father, brother and Shelia for Christmas dinner the next day, but this was already bad enough for her. That's why she was busying herself.

Beca didn't want to think about her mother. She knew that if she did, she'd end up crying, and ruining her makeup. And she didn't want Aubrey to see her cry. She didn't want anyone to see her cry. She needed to be strong.

She was dragged out of her thoughts by an incessant knocking at the door. Scott looked at her then went to answer it, grinning when he saw Aubrey on the other side. Beca watched as the two hugged, and Damian pushed past them. He walked into the kitchen, placing a dish on the counter. Beca smiled at him as a thank you as she finished cutting vegetables.

"How're you holding up?" He whispered, glancing at the two by the door who were caught up in a conversation.

Beca took a deep breath. She was actually glad that Damian remembered. She didn't think Aubrey really cared to after the Chloe thing, but at least Damian did. "I'm… I'm fine. I don't want to talk about.. that. Let's just have a nice dinner, okay?" She choked out, fighting back her tears. Damian nodded, not wanting to push the subject, and went to go greet Scott.

Dinner didn't start until Isabelle came back with a few bottles of wine. They sat down and had a nice dinner filled with small talk that kept Beca's mind off of her mother for a short while. Scott and Isabelle filled the three of them in on what was happening in their lives, and they all took turns sharing stories. It went until late, but Beca didn't mind staying up to clean everything. She wanted to keep busy until she passed out.

When the dishes were done and the laundry was drying, Beca was sad to admit that it was only ten thirty. She wasn't anywhere near tired, but she wanted to be alone. Sure, everyone else was sleeping, but it wasn't enough. She grabbed her headphones and her iPod and left, without even leaving a note.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Chloe knew what day it was, obviously, but every time she tried to call Beca it went right to voicemail. After some point, she just gave up on trying for the night. It was obvious that Beca didn't want to be bothered. She had just sent Jo home when her phone went off, signaling a text from Scott.

**Do you know where Beca is? She left and didn't leave a note. **

This confused Chloe. Where had Beca gone? Was she okay? It was Christmas Eve. She was supposed to be with family. Then again, this was Beca Mitchell she was talking about. After sending a text off to Scott, Chloe grabbed her jacket and headed out, eventually walking onto the grounds of Barden University.

A wave of Deja Vu washed over her as she saw the girl laying in the middle of the quad. She smiled sadly and walked towards her, frowning when she saw the glisten of a tear streak on the brunette's cheek. She walked forward and sat down, gently nudging the girl.

Beca quickly wiped her eyes and sat up, yanking the headphones from her ears. She was obviously lost in thought before, not realizing that Chloe had come up to her. She turned towards her perpetrator and her face softened when she saw Chloe there, breaking down again. Chloe pulled the girl into her arms, and held her as the DJ cried, rocking them gently. A part of her had wished that she had gone to see the girl earlier. At least that way Beca could talk to her, instead of running off. She used one hand to send Scott another message, before she cupped Beca's head and held her closer than before.

_**Found her. **_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Thursday, December 31st**

Beca made her way through the crowd of people, her leather jacket glistening as it reflected the vibrant lights flashing around the backstage area. The music was pounding and Beca fiddled with her pass while she waited, her heart racing. She was set to go on in a few acts, and she was nervous again. She had a new mix she wanted to show to the world, a mix supposedly about Ethan (it was really another one about Chloe). Ethan was back in LA, working hard on his movie. Beca was _supposed_ to act sad about it, but she couldn't.

She was allowed four passes for people to be backstage with her, and luck was in her favor when Aubrey called and said that she had fallen sick with a cold. She wanted to be back at work on the 2nd, so she couldn't risk it getting worse. That left Isabelle, Scott, Chloe and Jo to go with her, because Damian chose to remain with Aubrey. Beca wasn't too happy about having to invite Jo, but she decided to use it to her advantage and make it seem like she missed Ethan while being surrounded by the couples.

Scott watched Beca pace with amusement on his face. The 20 year old had two glasses of champagne in his hands and waited until he caught BEca's eye to try and hand one to her.

"You know, pacing isn't going to help." Scott commented, taking a sip of his drink.

"If I don't pace I'm going to drink myself into a coma." The DJ joked, sipping her drink as she looked at her brother.

Scott smiled at her a moment and slipped a hand into his jean pocket. He looked at Beca carefully, almost examining the girl. She had been there a little over a week, but he still missed her.

"You haven't been sleeping." He stated, noticing the shift in her posture.

"Why do you say that?"

"I hear your music. I hear you get up. I know it can't still be because of your mom. You said those nightmares stopped a while ago. What's going on? Talk to me."

Beca sighed. She should've known that she can't put anything past Scott. He knew her all too well for her to even try that. She crossed her arms and leaned against the nearest post she could find.

"I slept with Chloe." She murmured, looking at her feet. She could feel the look that Scott was giving her.

"When?"

"A day or two before she left LA. She left before I even woke up. I haven't talked to her about it. Hell, the only time I talked to her since then was when I asked if she wanted to come here with me." Beca was growing frustrated with herself, and Scott could tell.

"Does Jo know?" He asked, looking around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping.

Beca shook her head. "No. Not that I know of. I haven't gotten any death threats or anything yet."

"Then don't worry about it. Talk to Chloe tonight at that party. Figure something out." Scott convinced her with a shrug before pulling his sister in for a hug. "But don't worry about that right now. You're on."

Beca paled when they pulled back, and she slowly walked up to the platform.

_I thought of angels_

_Choking on their halos_

_So I know I'm right on track_

_It's hard for me to make amends_

_Get them drunk on rose water_

_See how dirty I can get them_

_Falling on my face again_

_When you stab me in the back_

_Pulling out their fragile teeth_

_And clip their tiny wings_

_Sail it on to another sorry shore_

_Talking shit, say I'm your filthy little, filthy little_

_Anything you say can and will be held against you_

_So only say my name_

_I earned my place with the tidal waves_

_I can't escape this feeling that something ain't right_

_Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer_

_Do you know you're unlike any other?_

_You'll always be my thunder, and I said_

_If heaven's grief brings hell's rain_

_Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

_Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors_

_I don't wanna ever love another_

_You'll always be my thunder (For just one yesterday)_

_Why don't you think before you speak?_

_Cause you don't know me at all_

_Still I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

_If I spilled my guts_

_The world would never look at you the same way_

_And now I'm here to give you all my love_

_So I can watch your face as I take it all away, away, away, ay ay ay_

_Spread your lies like fireflies_

_In a wild hot summer trying to pull me under_

_You sharpen words to use like knives_

_When you lose your colour, there'll be nothing left_

_Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer_

_Do you know you're unlike any other?_

_You'll always be my thunder, and I said_

_If heaven's grief brings hell's rain_

_Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

_Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors_

_I don't wanna ever love another (Anything you say can and will be held against you)_

_You'll always be my thunder_

_So bring on the rain (So only say my name)_

_Still I can't escape this feeling that something ain't right_

_Why don't you think before you speak?_

_Cause you don't know me at all_

_You don't know me at all_

The crowd loved her set. In between the few songs she played, she kept glancing next to her, watching as Jo and Chloe danced closely together. It hurt her heart, but she kept going until she was done. The crowd was cheering her name, and while Beca loved it, she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it. Her eyes were locked on Chloe for most of the night.

She remained in her small group of friends for the remainder of the night, only losing her focus on them and shifting it to alcohol when people started counting down. She may not of had Chloe to kiss, but at least she had her sorrows to drown in alcohol.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Chloe laughed loudly as she moved against Jo, her back pressed up against her girlfriend's front. She was already tipsy and the music was loud, pounding in her ears. She couldn't hear her own thoughts, but she knew that was a good thing. If she was thinking coherently, she knew she'd wind up doing something stupid. She turned in Jo's arms and smiled into the kiss she received, moaning softly into it. She knew that what she was doing was wrong. She shouldn't be stringing Jo along like this. Not when her heart belonged to someone else. Jo's hands found Chloe's hips and Chloe draped her arms around the girls' neck, pulling her closer as they moved to the beat. This wasn't right. It didn't feel right; not with Beca less than fifty feet away.

But Jo was safe.

Jo was safe for her, and she didn't have to worry about getting pulled into the spotlight by being with LA's "hottest new music producer". She couldn't have that stress on her. But yet, she still wanted Beca. She couldn't make up her mind.

"I'm gonna go get us some drinks." Jo husked into her ear, causing a shiver to run down Chloe's spine. Chloe turned and watched as she walked away, then immediately turned to the group of moving bodies. She needed to find Beca.

Her eyes soon fell on the sight of a short brunette, talking with some male that she was hoping was Scott. Her thoughts were denied when she saw Scott and Belle dancing nearby. She puffed and walked towards Beca, letting the alcohol take over. She tapped the girls shoulder, a smirk on her face.

"Hey, Chloe… Talk to you later, Jake. Chlo, are you okay?" Beca asked, making sure Chloe was stable.

"I'm fine, Beca." Chloe giggled, stepping closer to Beca. She wrapped an arm around Beca's waist and pulled her closer to dance. "Dance with me? Please?"

BEca smiled at her and nodded, moving to lead Chloe to the dance area. A fast-paced song came on and Beca swallowed, noticing Chloe's smirk as the redhead turned around and moved against Beca like they were girlfriends again. Beca was slightly overwhelmed by Chloe's sudden clinginess, and after a few moments of pondering, she knew she needed to figure out what exactly it was they were doing. Chloe was acting as if nothing had changed between them.

Beca wished things hadn't.

But as Chloe pulled Beca towards a spare room, all thoughts aside from Chloe were erased from Beca's mind, especially those that contained the word "no".

* * *

**Songs used in the mash-up were Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy, Thunder by Boys Like Girls, and Tidal Waves by All Time Low.**


	7. Breathe in So Deep

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry about the wait, finals are coming up and things are getting busy. Unfortunately, with this being chapter 6 of the story, it's going to be coming to a close in about four chapters. I've got a few ideas for the third installment, but I'm not sure if I'll be posting that anytime soon. Thank you so much for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy Chapter six!**

**Tobias Briarwood - Brendon Urie**

**Matthew Ellington - Austin Jones**

**Tyler Westbrooke - Noah Segan**

* * *

**Sunday, January 31st, 2016**

"Aubrey, you need to relax. You can't get too stressed out- we don't want you vomiting on your dress!"

"You try working for _months _on a wedding only for the music to cancel the day before the rehearsal dinner! Nobody can do these things last minute!"

"Okay, first of all, it wasn't just you. Jo and I helped a ton." Chloe explained, stepping up to her friend. "Secondly, did you forget who Beca is? She's a DJ. And a producer. She can help you."

"Help you what?" Beca asked, stepping out of the dressing rooms. They were doing last minute alterations on the dresses, just in case someone gained or lost weight, or grew or shrunk in height. "Hey, do I really have to wear this dress?"

"Yes, you do." Aubrey snapped, and after earning a glare from Chloe, visibly relaxed. "Do you think you can help with music? Maybe, I don't know, get someone out here?"

Beca thought about it for a moment. She could easily call up the manager of Fall Out Boy and have them play, but that was costly, something she knew Aubrey wouldn't appreciate. She didn't want to spend buttloads of cash for just Aubrey's wedding. "I can help, on one condition."

"What is it?" Aubrey asked, her voice sounding desperate.

"You let one of my clients play, too."

Aubrey looked to Chloe and sighed. She didn't want some ameateur performer playing at her wedding, but at this point, she didn't have a choice. "All right, fine. Make sure they're here by tomorrow night." And with that, Aubrey was off to find a tailor. All the hustle and bustle about the wedding made her shed half a pound, and her dress was loose around her stomach.

Beca pulled out her phone and started tapping away, scheduling a flight and sending off a text. She only looked up when Chloe stepped forward, a shy smile gracing her lips.

"You look really good in that dress." Chloe commented, placing a hand on Beca's arm.

"Uh, thanks, Chlo…" Beca trailed off, her eyes meeting ocean blue ones as Chloe moved her hands to Beca's waist. "What're you doing?"

She could tell by the shift in Chloe's eyes that the girl was taken aback by the question. They had slept together twice in the past few months, and Beca could only assume that Jo didn't know about either of those times. It wasn't right; Beca didn't want to be known as a cheater, again.

"I'm just… doing what feels right." Chloe whispered, leaning forward to kiss down Beca's neck. The shorter girl was really glad in that moment that Chloe wasn't wearing lipstick.

"Chloe, we can't. You've got a girlfriend." Beca's voice was soft, and her knees were threatening to give out. She wanted to say it was a mistake. That they couldn't be doing this.

"So? She doesn't know.."

"Chloe.."

"Just shut up and kiss me."

Beca huffed, but grabbed Chloe by the waist, pulled her close, and kissed her. She kissed her hard, but the kiss was short-lived when Beca pulled back .She wanted to know why Chloe was doing these things. Why Chloe was messing with her feelings so much.

"I'm not kissing you again until you tell me why you keep doing this." Beca demanded, stepping back.

Before Chloe could answer, Aubrey walked back in the room. "Okay, who's next?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Monday, February 1st **

The rehearsal dinner was going semi-smoothly. Alex had flown in from LA with Ethan, and were watching as Beca walked around in heels, mumbling something about how stupid it wasw that Aubrey was making the girls do the rehearsals in heels. It wasn't that Beca didn't like wearing heels, but she preferred heels that were attached to boots. Not ones that were the size of a toothpick.

The duo seemed pretty entertained, especially as Beca walked down the aisle linked arms with Tobias Briarwood. The man had preferred to go by Tobi when they were introduced, but after he and Beca got to talking, she learned that she could easily tease him by calling him "Tobias" and he'd return by calling her "Rebecca". They'd piss each other off easily, but it was all in fun and games (until Aubrey snapped at them both for fucking around). Tobi had been roommates with Damian in college, and they had remained great friends since.

Aubrey's Maid of Honor was obviously Chloe, and she was set to walk with Damian's Best Man: Matthew Ellington. Matt and Damian had been friends since they were little, just like Aubrey and Chloe had. They were to walk right before Aubrey, with Isabelle and Scott before them, Tobi and Beca before them, and Cynthia Rose and Tyler, Damian's brother, going first. They had rehearsed the walking at least five times before they broke for dinner, just to give the bride the satisfaction that it'd go smoothly. Beca and Ethan stayed back, mostly so Beca could explain to Alex how the night was going to go, music wise.

"Okay, so we've got the music back-tracks if you'd like, or I could find a band for you, or-"

"Beca, it's totally alright. I can use the tracks or just my guitar. Besides, I know a lot of people are going to want to hear your tracks." Alex smirked, and Beca blushed. "And I can also sing covers, so there's not a problem. Worst comes to worst, we just get the Bellas to perform."

Beca glared at her and lightly smacked her shoulder. "Shut up. Don't give Chloe any ideas."

Once at the restaurant, Beca sighed to herself and linked her hand with Ethan's. You never know when paparazzi could sneak up on you. The three of them headed inside and when they found Aubrey's table with three open seats, they sat down. Beca got a smile from Chloe and a frown from Tobi- Chloe for who knows why and Tobi, more than likely from the frown on her own face. She hated faking a relationship with such a great guy like Ethan, how had a just as great boyfriend. It didn't feel right, but it wasn't her call. It was Jonathan's. Jon decided what she did now, and Beca hated it.

"So nice of you three to make it. Did you have fun christening the back seat of a taxi?" Aubrey commented, and a few guys (including Ethan and Damian) stifled a snigger.

"We were actually having fun christening your bed, Aubs." Beca retorted, and Damian openly laughed.

"Oh, that's christened enough!"

"Damian!"

Beca couldn't contain her laughter.

"What? It's true! That bed is far from innocent." Damian continued, watching the blush creep down Aubrey's neck.

Beca looked to Chloe, who was giggling quietly to herself next to Jo. A pang of guilt ate at her as she thought about what the girl didn't know. Jo didn't know a thing about what happened between Beca and Chloe behind closed doors. It physically hurt her. She stood up after excusing herself and walked to the bathroom, then looked at herself in the mirror.

What was she doing? Sleeping with Chloe behind her manager's, Jo's, and Ethan's backs? What good was coming out of that? Sure, she got to be with Chloe again for a night or so, but Chloe was with someone else. Chloe was cheating on Jo with her, and she felt just as bad as Zach had to of when Jesse cheated on her last year. It was horrible, absolutely horrible, but she didn't want it to stop. Because after so very long, she still loved Chloe so much, and she didn't want to let go. She didn't want to lose Chloe in her life.

She splashed water on her face, trying to ease her stomach as she took a few deep breaths. She needed to put a stop to this. As much as she loved the girl, she couldn't take this pain and guilt. She just needed to get Chloe alone so they could talk.

Her thoughts were answered when a certain redhead walked through the bathroom door, worry etched on her face. She looked to the girl and shook her head, moving to walk past Chloe, but she was stopped.

"Please, don't go."

"We need to get back to the dinner."

"I know you're actually not sick, Beca. I'm not stupid." Chloe huffed, crossing her arms. "What's got you so upset?"

Beca was starting to fume. Chloe wasn't getting it. "Don't you understand? I feel like some sort of chew toy with the way you're all over me one moment, and the next you're curled up to Jo like I'm nothing! What are you trying to prove? What are you trying to gain? Success? Drama? Because all you're doing is hurting me pretty badly, Chloe. God only knows what Jo is going to do when she finds out."

"She's not going to find out." Chloe stated plainly, crossing her arms as she faced the brunette.

"And why won't she?" Beca was almost to tears. Almost.

"Because you're not going to tell her. You love this too much. You love it when you're with me. And I love it when I'm with you. It's… exhilarating, being with you. It's something I love to feel." Chloe explained.

"If you really wanted to be with me then you wouldn't be with Jo." Beca snapped, and the silence that followed was awkward and impure. The light above them creating a soft buzzing noise, but other than that, it was dead silent.

Beca looked at Chloe. Chloe didn't say a word. The DJ's brow tightened into a thin line and she turned to leave. The air had suddenly gotten thin and Beca wasn't in the mood to finish dinner. She gave Ethan money to pay for her meal and kissed his cheek before she excused herself from the table. As she walked out of the restaurant, Chloe walked out of the bathroom.

It was obvious the redhead had been crying. Her makeup had smeared but was re-done, her eyes were red and a few strands of her bangs were damp. Aubrey gave her a look, but knew that her friend was in good hands when Jo wrapped a comforting arm around the girl.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Tuesday, February 2nd**

Beca didn't want to get up the next morning. She had hit snooze at least five times and it was only when Ethan threatened to pour water on her and she heard a cup filling that she actually sat up. She was exhausted, mentally and physically. She had been up most of the night forming a setlist with Alex, and her heart was still hurting because of this back and forth with Chloe. When Ethan made the threat again, she knew she had to get up. Her hair was in knots and she looked sickly, but she knew if she bailed on this wedding that she'd never hear the end of it. She forced herself to get ready, dragging her makeup bag and dress with her to the venue, with Ethan proudly by her side the whole way. Even though he wasn't in the wedding, Beca didn't want to be left alone with Chloe at all. That would give an excuse for touching, and she didn't want that.

The venue was busy, very busy. Stacie, Lily and Amy were bustling around, setting up chairs and decorations with the help of Donald and Bumper, and every so often beca would hear Scott or Belle talking to Alex about the music. Everyone was dressed up nicely, even Alex, who wore a navy blue tuxedo.

Beca looked around and smiled when she saw Cynthia Rose waving her over. Ethan told her he was going to help set everything up, and for a moment, Beca missed the warmth that his body gave of. He was like a teddy bear. A big, gay, cuddly teddy bear;. She left him to do what he wanted and walked over to Cynthia Rose, where she assumed was the room where the girls were getting ready.

Once she stepped inside, she could see how stressful a wedding can be. Make-up palettes and brushes were everywhere, along with hair ties and bobby pins. Chloe and Aubrey's mom sat behind and in front of Aubrey, doing the girls' hair and makeup while the blonde sat in a tank top. Cynthia Rose pulled beca over to a clean area, all before she could meet Chloe's eyes, and Beca was glad for that. She sat in front of her friend and let out a shaky breath Cynthia Rose started on her makeup. Belle came in at one point, and started dolling up her hair. The three of them remained silent, but they could easily hear the conversation between Aubrey and Chloe.

"You need to relax, Bre. Damian loves you, and you look beautiful. This is your night; don't let small complications stress you out. Jo and Beca have handled it." CHloe soothed, and Beca wondered what else had gone wrong that needed Jo to fix it.

"I know, I know. Oh God, Chlo, what if I trip?"

Aubrey's mom chuckled at that.

"You're not going to trip, Aubs. You'll have your dad with you, and I'll be right in front of you. We're going to go out there, you're going to marry Damian, and then we're gonna have a rocking time at the reception." Chloe explained as she put Aubrey's lipstick on.

The blonde smiled at her friend and blinked her eyes a few times. Her eyes lit up a moment, and then she looked at her mom. Beca could see the happiness on both of their faces, and she immediately pulled her eyes away. It wa sa painful reminder that her mom wouldn't be there when she got married. Shelia would, but that was besides the point.

When the girls went to put Aubrey and Chloe's dresses on, Belle finished with Beca's hair.

"You're happy for her, right?" Belle asked.

"Of course I am. Damian's a great guy." Beca replied and CR started doing Beca's nails.

"Not who I meant." CR looked up at them with a confused expression.

"Chloe?" Belle nodded. "Of course. I have no choice but to be happy for her. Jo's great, too. She deserves Chloe."

Belle could sense a taste of jealousy in Beca's voice, and she looked at Cynthia Rose. The dark-skinned girl looked back at her and shrugged her shoulders .They both could tell something was off with Beca, and it had to do with Chloe for sure. They just didn't know what it was.

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**Tuesday Night**

The music in the room was loud. When Alex wasn't singing or playing, Beca had a playlist set up to play all kinds of music, including her mixes. The night was all going quite well so far. Aubrey and Damian had requested "1, 2, 3, 4" by the Plain White T's for their first dance, and Beca had given it to them. Since then Beca was mostly by herself, helping Alex do last minute setlist adjustments, or running around making sure everything was going okay. She had to keep busy.

It was only when Ethan physically stopped her with two drinks in his hand that Beca actually relaxed. He grinned at her and handed her the bubbling drink and watched as she sipped from it.

"What's this?" She asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

Ethan just grinned at her. "Don't worry about it. Just relax. Everything's going great. Aubrey's happy, Damian's happy," He looked over his shoulder for a moment and chuckled. "Amy's happy."

Beca looked past him with her eyebrows raised when she saw Amy and Bumper in a heated lip-lock, both with cups in their hands and Bumper's hand falling to Amy's butt. "Yeah, really happy."

"All that's missing is you being happy, Becs." Ethan tapped her glass with his own and took a drink, then watched as Beca downed her own drink. He shook his head slightly and ran a hand through his quaffed hair before taking her glass and setting it on a decorated table next to his own. "Dance with me?"

Hey Monday's "Candles" started playing through the speakers and Beca sighed softly to herself before she took Ethan's surprisingly smooth hand as he led her to the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and she felt his settle on her hips, and they slowly began to sway together, just taking small steps here and there. All around them, couples were paired off- Jesse and Zach, Bumper and Amy, Aubrey and Damian, Scott and Isabelle, Stacie and Tobi (Beca mentally cringed at what could possibly be happening there), but there was one couple that Beca didn't see dancing around them. Jo and Chloe.

Ethan could tell that she was confused by the way Beca kept looking around. The girl's hair fell in her face, and Ethan bit his lip as he pulled a totally cliche move by pushing it behind her ear. "I haven't seen her in a while. Either of them." He whispered, leaning forward to press his lips to her forehead. "I don't know where they ran off to."

Beca smiled at him and played with the hairs at the back of his neck. She was glad that she could have a friend like him; he meant well, and she knew that when they'd eventually "break up" (It was either that or they faked a pregnancy or a wedding or something ridiculous) that he'd be there long after it all happened. That's why Beca was so glad that Ethan had agreed to all of this, if anything, she'd get a great friend in LA out of it.

After the song died and Alex had gone up to the stage area to play a few songs of her own, Beca took to searching the reception area for Chloe and Jo. She couldn't find them anywhere, but only when she gave up did she find Jo sitting outside, smoking a cigarette. She swallowed thickly and stepped forward, wringing her fingers together. The early-February air was cold against her skin, and Beca could already feel goosebumps lining her arms and legs. She didn't want to do this, but she knew she had to talk to the girl if she wanted answers, of some sort or another.

Jo looked up at her when she saw the girl walking towards her. She gave a soft smile and handed Beca her pack, offering the girl one. Beca hesitated, knowing that Chloe hated it when she smoked, but she took one anyways and lit up the stick of tobacco. It was a relief, something she definitely needed that night. They sat next to each other on the steps of the venue, just blowing out smoke and inhaling the toxic air around them. It was dead silent aside from the pounding echo coming from inside, and it was like that for a few moments until Jo broke the silence.

"She's always been your girl, you know." Jo whispered, swallowing thickly after she exhaled the smoke.

Beca looked at her and tapped the ashes off her cigarette. "What?"

"Chloe. She's always been yours. Even when she was with me." Beca noticed how Jo was using _was _instead of _is. _"She'd always talk about you, talk about your success, the times you guys had at Barden. I was.. actually pretty jealous. I thought.. I thought that if I could just give her something to be proud of, give her something to share with me like all the things she's shared with you, maybe I could win her over. Maybe I could actually keep a girl as perfect as Chloe Beale." Jo inhaled a long drag from her own cigarette, and blew out the smoke as she looked up at the cloudy night sky. "But I was wrong."

"What are you talking about?"

"Chloe and I are over, Beca. She was never really mine to begin with. She told me everything that happened."

Beca's heart skipped a beat. Jo and Chloe were over? She really hoped that it wasn't because of her. "You don't hate me, do you?"

Jo paused a moment, but shook her head. "No,I don't. I don't hate you, because if I was in your position, if I had the same history with her that you do, I would of done the exact same thing."

Beca smiled sadly at her. "I really hope we can at least try to be friends. We haven't had that much time to talk, but you know.. I can try and be there." She stated, trying to make amends.

"That'd be cool. I actually uh, think your friend in there is pretty cool." Jo stated with a goofy smile on her face.

"Which one? I have like, twenty in there." They shared a small, almost broken laugh.

"CR. She's pretty cool. I've talked with her a few times in there. Maybe you can put in a good word for me?"

Beca smiled. "Definitely."

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When they walked back into the venue, everyone was up and dancing. There wasn't a sad soul in the entire place, and Beca immediately dragged Jo out onto the floor, bringing her over to Cynthia Rose. The three of them danced for a song or two, up until Jo stopped, tapped Beca's shoulder, then pointed to the bathroom door. Beca smiled at the blonde and nodded, immediately walking over to where a girl had just walked out. She looked at Chloe with a warm smile, and pulled her out towards the floor. "Dance with me?" She asked, and she caught Ethan's approving smirk out of the corner of her eye.

Chloe had been crying. It was obvious once again, but Beca was trying not to notice it so that the girl didn't feel embarrassed. She could only assume that Chloe had been crying due to her break up with Jo, but from the looks of it, Chloe was slightly relieved by the way she looked at Jo dancing with CR. It was almost as if things were supposed to play out that way. The redhead looked at Beca with a smile, and nodded. "Yes, I'd love to."

The song changed once again to a slower song, and Beca took a deep breath as she led Chloe onto the floor. She felt her heart skipping a few beats in her chest as she gently squeezed Chloe's hand in her own- it felt so natural. Things were meant to be this way.

_The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting_

_Could it be that we have been this way before_

_I know you don't think that I am trying_

_I know you're wearing thin down to the core_

Beca's arms fell onto Chloe's hips, and Chloe's hands went around her neck. They swayed slowly to the beat of the song, and Beca smiled softly at the familiarity of it all. It reminded her of her Senior Year, when she and Chloe danced together in her room. It was like nobody else was in the room at all.

_But hold your breath_

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you_

_Over again_

_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day_

_I swear it's true_

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find_

_You're impossible to find_

_This is not what I intended_

_I always swore to you I'd never fall apart_

_You always thought that I was stronger_

_I may have failed_

_But I have loved you from the start_

_Oh_

Chloe smiled back at Beca as they danced. She could feel eyes on them from all around, some accompanied by smiles, some by glares and other people just didn't care. Of course she was crying in the bathroom- she had just confessed to Jo what had been happening. She wasn't crying because it was a bad breakup. She had been crying because she had hurt someone who didn't deserve to be hurt. She had hurt Jo so badly, and Jo was just shrugging it off like it was nothing because she had liked Chloe _that _much. But now, Jo looked like she was just happy that Chloe was happy. And a part of Chloe felt a little guilty because of that.

_But hold your breath_

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you_

_Over again_

_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day_

_I swear it's true_

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find_

_It's impossible_

_So breathe in so deep_

_Breathe me in_

_I'm yours to keep_

_And hold onto your words_

_'Cause talk is cheap_

_And remember me tonight_

_When you're asleep_

Beca could feel the song coming to a close, and she knew that if she was going to do this, it was now or never. She met Chloe's eyes and licked her lips, then cupped Chloe's cheek, leaned forward, and pressed their lips together gently. Chloe kissed her back and they stayed like that for a moment, until Chloe pulled back.

"I'm so sorry, Beca.."

"Be with me again? Please?" Beca whispered softly, and Chloe only nodded. Beca grinned, and kissed her again.

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you_

_Over again_

_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day_

_I swear it's true_

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find_

_Tonight will be the night that I will fall for you_

_Over again_

_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day_

_I swear it's true_

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find_

_You're impossible to find_

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**Song used is Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade. **


	8. A World So Hateful

**A/N: Almost a filler of sorts. Kind of short, but the next chapter is going to make up for it big-time. Only about two more chapters left, guys, then it's onto the third and final installment! I hope you enjoy where I'm taking this story, and please let me know how you all think of it!**

**Also, a side note, but I'm talking prompts on my tumblr and through PM. The link to my tumblr is on my profile.**

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**Friday, February 5th**

Beca and Chloe had been together since the reception of Aubrey's wedding. Things were slowly going back to normal, and with summer quickly approaching Beca knew they'd have a lot more time to spend together. Until summer happened, Beca and Chloe would constantly be speaking, either on the phone, via Skype, or texting. It got slightly irritating for some of the people around Beca back in LA, but they grew accustom to it.

Beca sat in the studio, with Maggie in the chair next to her as she adjusted the volume on the tracks while maintaining a beat with one hand. They were recording a song that Alex had written, and Beca fell in love with it. She immediately started writing the music for it with the androgynous girl, and Maggie tagged along just to see her roommate in action.

The had just started working on the second verse when the door of the studio was slammed open, revealing a very pissed off Jonathan. His smartphone was clutched in one hand, and Beca was quick to hit the music off to stop the recording.

"What the hell is this?" He demanded, showing her his phone screen. It was an article on , and Beca cringed. "What the hell did you do in New York?!"

Beca took the phone from him. on the site was the headline: "Beca Mitchell's Gay Scandal!" with an attached picture from the photographer's website of Aubrey's wedding. It was a picture of Chloe and Beca dancing, and kissing. It would of been a cute picture if there wasn't any consequences. She sighed and started to read aloud,

"_A few days ago a photo appeared on the photography page of Lisa Jane, showing Hollywood's next best DJ showing off her new obsession. Scandalous! And with boyfriend Ethan Kulpa at the same location, no less. Sources say the redhead in question is Chloe beale, a school teacher from Atlanta and a previous member of the collegiate a capella group The Barden Bellas with Mitchell. From the looks of things in this picture, singing wasn't the only things their mouths are good for."_ Beca stopped reading and looked back at Jon. She could feel a blush creeping up her back as she saw Jon turn even redder with anger.

"I told you not to go to that wedding! It was bad publicity for you and Alex. Just a bunch of stuck-up idiots." Jon yelled, slamming a hand on the nearest table.

"Those 'stuck-up idiots' are my friends. Aubrey and I coached the bellas together. It was only right that I showed my support." Beca tried to reason, noticing how Maggie had gone into the sound booth, and was talking quietly with Alex.

"And that _whore _that was all over you?"

"That _beautiful woman_ is my _girlfriend_, Jon. I know it's hard for you to understand, but I'm gay. I love Chloe. I love her so much and I'm not afraid to be open about it. I didn't even want to fake anything with Ethan. He's a great guy who doesn't deserve to have to be stuck in the closet. I am sick and tired of your biased bullshit. Just because someone is gay doesn't mean they can't succeed. I love Chloe beale, and you, Jon?" Beca snarled, standing up and getting in his face with the best of her abilities. The man looked down on her, his anger rising.

"You're fired."

So many things happened at once. Beca went to storm out of the room at the same time that Alex and Maggie left the booth. Beca walked out of the studio, and put both earphones in. Alex and Maggie chased her, calling her name. Sounds were blocked out. The pavement reflected the sun. A flash of metallic blue with a screeching sound of tires moving against asphalt. The hot pavement against her cheek. Her vision going dark.

The voices of Alex begging her to stay awake and Maggie calling 911.

A short breath before she passed out.

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**Saturday, February 6th**

Beca woke slowly, blinking her eyes. She grimaced at the sudden light, but was relieved to find that it was a hospital bed, and not the gates of Heaven. Like she'd even get into Heaven. She scanned the white room and frowned when she saw Scott sitting in the corner, sound asleep. Alex or Maggie must've called him. She tried to slide off the bed, but a sudden pain in her left leg made her stop. She cried out, and it woke Scott. The man jumped up and grabbed Beca's hand.

"Nurse?! The meds have worn off!" Scott shouted into the hallway, squeezing Beca's hand. "You're okay, Becs."

"Why can't I move my leg without feeling like I'm being sawed in half?"

Beca saw Scott visibly sigh. she squeezed her brother's hand and watched as Scott pressed a gentle kiss to her hand. "You were hit pretty badly. There was a little nerve damage, but it's mostly a clean break. At least t6hat's what the doctor said. You'll have to be put in a brace for a few months."

Beca frowned and swallowed when a nurse came in and started taking her blood pressure. "Who all is here?"

"Maggie and Alex are in the waiting room, Belle is getting coffee, and uh, Chloe got kicked from the hospital." Scott explained, scratching the back of his neck.

"Why? She's here?"

"Yeah, she is. Flew out with Belle and I. She wouldn't leave your side, she had to be physically removed. So now she's at your apartment, probably cleaning or sleeping."

"...How long have I been out?"

"About a day…"

Beca's eyes widened and she turned towards the nurse. "When can I get out of here?"

Beca was able to get out of the hospital by that afternoon. Alex gratefully drove everyone home, and told Maggie to call her if they needed anything. Beca told both of them that it wouldn't be needed, that she can take care of herself, but Scott thanked Alex anyways as they helped Beca hobble to the couch with her crutch.

Beca huffed as Scott sat next to her, resting his elbows on his knees. "I don't need your help, guys. I'll be fine."

"That's a lie. You can't do everything while on your crutches, Becs." Maggie explained, crossing her arms as she leaned against the couch. "Where's Chloe?"

Scott looked up at the girl, then at the hallway. Beca caught his glance and glared at her brother as she pulled herself up using her crutches, and made her way back into her room. Belle kept an eye on her as she walked, then sat next to Scott on the couch.

"How're you feeling about this?" She asked, and Maggie took that as her cue to go start breakfast for everyone. It was the least she could do in that moment.

Scott swallowed and looked at his hands. He shook his head, then looked at Isabelle. "I just wish the universe would give her a break. She's so strong.. I don't want to see her collapse."

Belle nodded and rubbed his back. She had seen Beca through it all, from dealing with Jesse cheating to Chris being a dick, to losing her mom, and more. She agreed with Scott; Beca needed a break. "Maybe you should talk her into taking some time of work, or relocating for a month or two."

"She wouldn't do that. Not when she's so close to finishing Alex's album." Scott countered.

"It doesn't hurt to ask." Isabelle stood and walked into the kitchen, the smell of bacon overwhelming. "Need any help?"

Maggie nodded and grinned at her, nodding towards the pancake mix. "Want to get started on the second batch? If Scott is anything like Beca, we're gonna need it."

Belle nodded and started making the mixture. They cooked in silence for a moment, then Belle spoke again. "I was talking to Scott, and we think it'd be best if Beca came home with us for a few months."

Maggie looked at her, shocked. "But what about Alex's album? And the rent?" The girl asked, and Belle smiled.

"It would be after the album is released. I'm sure she can give you enough ahead of time to cover her half of it for the time she's been gone, if she agrees to go. She'll be back in no tie, with summer just around the corner." Belle explained as she started to pour circles on pancake mix.

"Maybe we should talk it out over breakfast first." Maggie was hesitant to say okay. She knew how Beca could be, and that definitely included reluctant and stubborn.

Belle nodded and went into the fridge to get some fruit to put in the pancakes. "Sounds like a plan."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Meanwhile…**

Beca hobbled into her bedroom and kicked the door closed with her crutch, smiling when she saw Chloe curled up in her bed. She dropped her crutches when she got to the bed and crawled on top of it, towards the snoozing redhead. She pulled the blankets back and moved under them, wrapping an arm around Chloe. the redhead turned in her arms and curled up to her, slowly blinking her eyes open.

"Bec… You're okay." Chloe whispered, grinning when she saw it was Beca that she was curled up to.

"Of course I'm okay. A black brace isn't going to tear me down, Chlo." Beca told her, her voice soft as her hand gently made it's way along Chloe's back, loving the feeling of Chloe being in her arms.

Chloe smiled at her and leaned up to kiss her softly. The familiar taste of Beca attacked her, and she felt her whole body relax as Beca kissed her back. She shifted to cup the girls cheek, kissing her harder against the bed. Beca let out a soft moan when Chloe nipped at her lip, and the redhead pulled back with a smirk. They were just enjoying the silence and each others presence when someone knocked at Beca's door.

"Guys? Breakfast is ready." Maggie called through the door. "Come on, you can jump each others' bones later."

Chloe blushed and giggled when Beca groaned, reaching for her crutches.

"How long is that gonna be on for?" Chloe asked, helping Beca move into the dining room.

"Doc said beginning of April." Beca explained as she started to load up her plate. "Just in time for Coachella."

"You're going?" Scott asked around a mouthful of pancake.

Beca nodded. "And playing. I'm really hyped for it."

Isabelle bit her lip when it went silent. Beca looked around, and her eyes fell on the blonde. "Belle?" The girl looked up at her. "Everything alright?"

"Scott and I think you should come stay with us until your leg is healed. You can finish Alex's album, but if you're with us then you can always have someone to help." Belle explained.

Beca narrowed her eyes at the girl and looked at Scott. His head was hung, matching Maggie's expression of almost.. guilt? Chloe just looked excited, because that meant that Beca would be closer to her for a few months.

"You guys act like this is an intervention for drugs or something. I can do things on my own. I'm not a child. I can do things on my own."

Belle sighed softly. "We also believe you need to take a break. Just to relax and work on lazy mixes. We can go to the diner, or you can come to Bellas rehearsal and stuff. Just a nice month or so away from the hell that is LA. All you have to do is give Maggie money to pay for your half of the rent." Belle explained further, giving everyone another portion of breakfast. "It'll also give you time to look for a new manager."

Beca sighed. That was _definitely _something she needed to do. She didn't particularly _need _a manager, but it took a lot of stress off her shoulders when it came to scheduling gigs or finding clients. Plus, it was always a good thing to have an extra hand at the studio. She took a bite of her pancake, her eyes falling on Maggie. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Maggie smiled softly at her and nodded. "Yeah, I am. I've got a senior year to finish up on, and even though I'll miss the music, it'll be nice to have some quiet now and then."

Beca playfully slapped her arm. "Shut up. You love me, damn it." She took another bite of her pancake and looked around the table. "I'll do it, but only to humor you guys. I don't need help, I don't need to take a break, but it'll be nice to be back in Georgia for a little while. Maybe catch up with a few other Bellas or something. I'll talk to Alex tomorrow and we'll finish within the week." The alt girl stated with a shrug of her shoulders. "How long are you guys staying?"

"Till Sunday. Belle and Scott have classes to take and I've got them to teach." Chloe explained, reaching over to take Beca's hand. She squeezed it gently, fighting back her excitement about the fact that Beca was going to be coming back to Atlanta soon.

"Then I guess I'll be flying alone." Beca explained, smiling softly at Chloe. They continued to eat breakfast in silence, up until Beca's phone went off. Scott gave her a simple glare as he knew it was a business call, but she took it anyway.

"Hello?"

"_Beca, oh thank God you're okay. My manager heard about what happened from Jon. I was starting to fear the worst. I'm sorry I didn't come see you, I was doing damage control with the press." _Beca smiled as Ethan continued to ramble on, but her smile disappeared when he said damage control.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that alone…"

"_No, it's totally cool. In fact, your little stunt actually made my life better. Dylan dumped Victoria, and now we can finally be together." _Beca grinned at her friends' happiness, and the guys gave her a confused look. She helped up a finger, and put the phone on speaker.

"He came out? You're on speaker, by the way."

"_Yeah, by kissing me in front of the set of his movie. Don't you keep up with the gossip blogs?" _

"No, I haven't been able to. With the accident and firing Jon, my life's been hectic."

"_You fired Jon?" _Ethan sounded surprised, yet happy for her.

"He made everything a lot more complicated."

There was silence for a moment, until Beca sighed and decided to tell him. "Ethan, I'm leaving LA for a few months."

More silence. Beca actually thought he had hung up on her once or twice.

"_When?"_

"Within the next week. Belle asked me today, well, more like demanded I come stay with them a few months to take a break."

A little more silence.

"_Is Chloe there?" _Beca furrowed her brow and looked at Chloe, who only shrugged and leaned towards the phone.

"Yeah, Ethan. I'm here. What's up?"

"_How do you and Beca feel about going on a double date with Dylan and I tonight?" _Ethan asked, and Chloe could hear his anxiousness. The redhead looked to Beca, who shrugged and made a motion with her hand for Chloe to continue speaking.

"We'd love to. Maybe spice up the press a little." Chloe giggled and Beca glared.

"_I like the way you think, Beale. I'm down for some rumor spreading." _

"Don't give her any ideas, Koopa Kid."

"_Back to the nickname, I see. Belle, Scott, you two are more than welcome to join us." _Scott smile at the phone.

"As awesome as going on a triple date with my sister sounds, I think we're just gonna stay in this weekend. Like Beca said, it's been a hectic week. We just wanna enjoy this weekend by ourselves." Scott explained, smiling at Isabelle.

A small amount of rustling was heard on the other line, and Beca took this opportunity to take a drink of her orange juice.

"_So, seven?" _

Beca looked at Chloe, who grinned and nodded at her. "Sounds like a plan, man. God, that was cheesy.."

"It was cute." Chloe added.

"_Right, well, as much as I wanna listen to you two adorable nerds banter, I gotta go. See you too tonight! And Beca, please stay out of the hospital." _

Beca hung up the phone and set it down before she continued eating. "So Ethan and Dylan are out of the closet."

"Now we just sit back and watch as the press slowly figures out that two of their hottest couples were just beard relationships." Maggie chuckled and went to clean her plate.

"Oh, what a story that'll be." Scott grinned and followed Maggie. One by one they cleaned off their plates (Chloe happily taking care of Beca's, much to the DJ's reluctance) and were off doing their own things. Maggie went to work, Chloe and Beca moved to the couch for a few hours before their date, and Isabelle and Scott went out to do sightseeing.

Their weekend ended with them all having dinner together before the three of them left, and for the first time since she left Barden Beca really felt like she had a family again.


	9. Something Ain't Right

**A/N: Here we go guys, Chapter 8. Let me know what you think! It means a lot. **

**Warning: Violence (Could be deemed as abuse). **

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The moment Beca hobbled out of the gate of the plane, she felt the atmosphere around her change. It wasn't stuffy and stale like it had been on the plane. It was relaxed, despite the late February hustle and bustle. Blue eyes locked together and Beca smiled when she saw Chloe and Scott coming towards to help her. Scott grabbed Beca's bags while Chloe wrapped her arms around her. Scott rolled his eyes at the girls and left to put his sister's' luggage in the car, before returning to give Beca a hug. The ride home was anything but quiet, as it was full of the three singing and laughing. It was only when they got up to the apartment that she noticed someone was missing.

"Belle at rehearsals?" Beca asked, resting her legs on the coffee table.

"Yeah, said something about deciding on a setlist. Marie is in total Aubey mode, Ironically. She's usually the complete opposite of Aubs." Scott replied, sitting down on one side of Beca while Chloe occupied the other.

"I hope they know they if they need a mash-up I'd be more than happy to do itl. Making sets for the Bellas has actually always been relaxing for me." Beca explained, wrapping an arm around Chloe. "Can we get the Bellas over here?" She asked Scott, who bit his lip, but nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just going to get some groceries from the store, so I'm not like, intruding or whatever." He answered, standing up and walking to the door after sending Isabelle a text.

"Before you leave, hand me my laptop bag?" Beca asked, and Scott handed it to Chloe who placed it in Beca's lap. The DJ kissed Chloe's cheek, then smiled at her brother. "Thanks, Scotty."

"Yeah, yeah." Scott mumbled, grabbing his keys as he headed out.

Beca opened her laptop case and pulled out her DJ kit before opening the required software for her mixes. She made a small playlist of songs that she felt the "New" Bellas could easily perform as solo pieces or as a part of a mash-up. Chloe curled up next to her and watched as she worked; her eyes constantly following Beca's cursor. She was almost dozing off when there was a knock at the door, then it opened, revealing Belle followed by the other Bellas. Beca smiled at them and motioned for them all to join her.

"Okay, before we get started, does anyone have any suggestions?" Beca asked, adjusting herself and Chloe at the same time.

"One of the newer Bellas raised their hand and suggested "Maps" by Maroon 5, and the suggestions went from there. Beca had a total of sixteen songs, but she knew she could put it all together. That was her specialty, after all. While Beca got to work making the mix, Chloe helped the girls with choreography.

It was a rough cut, but after Beca revealed the bass line it made it a lot easier. When Chloe caled for a break, Beca called the girls over to have them listen to the mix, and they all seemed to be intrigued by it. Getting that kind of reaction from people was why she loved doing what she did. It made her feel like she had a purpose.

Once they had a general feel for the music, Chloe asked them to run through it one more time. Beca was about to focus back on making the mix sound better, but something caught her eye. She spotted something on Cody's arm, and her heart dropped .She let Chloe run them through the dance, but ask the Bellas (minus Belle) were going to leave, Beca pulled the colored-haired girl back with a cal of her name. She waited until the other Bellas left, before she spoke.

"You're a pretty powerful performer, Cody. Really powerful." Beca complimented her, shifting on the couch.

"Thanks. It's something I love to do." Cody obviously was uncomfortable, probably because of Beca and Chris' past (that she could only really hear from Chris).

"I've noticed. You put a lot of passion into it. Not only dancing, but you know what I mean." Beca continued. She politely asked Chloe to get her something to drink, While Belle retreated to her and Scott's bedroom. When she knew they were alone, she looked seriously at Cody, and moved her laptop aside so she could sit up.

"Where did you get that bruise from?" Beca asked, her voice soft, yet firm. She didn't want to scare the girl. "The one on your arm."

"I'm clumsy. I banged it on my dresser." Cody explained, almost too quick for her on good. Beca sighed and gently took Cody's arm, looking it over.

"This doesn't look like it came from a dresser." Beca whispered sadly, noticing that it was a clear outline. "This looks like a handprint." She looked up and met the girls' eyes. "I know you're dating Chris Loveless." She swallowed thickly and glanced around. "I know what he has the ability to do to girls, without a second thought. He's.. not a good man. Did.. Did he do this?"

They sat in silence for a small moment, the only sounds coming from the kitchen and Belle's room. When Cody eventually gave a quiet nod, it took all Beca had to not go beat the man with her crutch. She gently released the girls arm and tried to stand with her crutches. If she couldn't beat the life out of Chris, she could at least help Cody.

"Follow me." She told the girl, who did just that. She followed Beca to the girls' room, and Beca pulled open a drawer of her desk. She pulled out a bottle of cream, and handed it to Cody.

"Put that on any bruise in the morning, and before you go to bed. It'll help it heal." She leaned against her desk, using it for support. "I'm not going to tell you to break up with him. But I trust that if he does anything like this again, you'll tell me, okay? Or Belle, or Scott, or even Marie. I know what he's capable of. It's not good things."

Cody nodded again, and Beca noticed the tears that welled up in the girls eyes. After a few moments of hesitation, Beca opened her arms and let Cody hug her. They stayed like that for a few moments, before Cody announced that she had to go, and left with the bottle of cream in hand. Beca sighed and moved to her bed, only to be joined by Chloe a few minutes later.

"You heard all that, huh?" Beca asked, laying back next to Chloe.

"Yeah… I've never heard you take responsibility like that." Chloe whispered, moving to lay on Beca's chest. She sighed contently, and Beca threaded her fingers through the girls' hair.

"I guess it was time I grew some balls. I don't want what happened with me to happen with her. Chris hurt me in so many ways other than just physical.. I can't just sit back and watch him destroy another girl… It's wouldn't be right." Beca replied, looking at her still-painted walls. She was feeling a mad case of Deja Vu right then and there, and it made her feel comfortable.

"And above all else: Once a Bella, always a Bella." Chloe concluded, looking up at her girlfriend.

"That too." Beca smiled at her and gently kissed her forehead.

They sat in silence for almost a half hour, and Chloe was almost asleep when Isabelle approached their door, freshly showered. Beca looked at her and waved smally.

"Scott brought home a pizza for dinner if you guys want some." The blonde explained, drying her hair.

Beca gently nudged the dozing redhead, who groggily blinked and looked up at the DJ. Beca smiled at the adorableness that was a just-waking-up Chloe Beale. "Scott got pizza. Want some?"

Chloe mumbled something that sounded like "Yeah", and Beca gently nudged her so she could use one crutch. She hobbled into the kitchen and, making a few trips, managed to bring a box of pizza, a couple sodas, and her first two seasons of _Supernatural _on DVD for them to fall asleep to. After both girls had eaten, they curled up together on the bed, and let the scenes of Sam and Dean fighting creatures lull them to sleep.

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**Saturday, February 20th**

BEca had been working almost constantly on various mixes and songs during the first week she had been in Atlanta. She was getting used to being able to walk with her crutches, and her doctor told her she could have the brace off within the month, with it being put in a bendable brace to help her walk without the crutches. She had a lot of free time lately, due to the fact that most of her Barden friends- including Scott and Isabelle- had classes and Chloe was teaching. Beca would spend her mornings with the television playing in the background and her laptop propped open, music blaring from it.

She had finished the Bella's mix a few days ago, and both Marie and Belle were excited as could be. They had plenty of time to practice it, as that the ICCA Nationals weren't until May.

Beca had just woke up when she heard her phone going off. It wasn't Chloe; Beca had a specific song for the redhead's ringtone. Instead, her phone was blaring David Bowie's "Don't You (Forget About Me)", signaling that it was Jesse. Answering the phone, she groaned into it.

"What do you want, Jesse?"

"_Well don't you sound chipper in the morning." _Beca could hear the smirk on his face through the phone.

"Get on with it, dude."

"_Alright, alright. I was wondering if you wanted to go to breakfast with Zach and I. Scott mentioned you were back in town for a while, and I figured we could catch up the last few months." _Jesse explained, and Beca sat up with a yawn.

"Do I have to?" The girl whined, pushing her hair from her face.

She could hear Jesse chuckle. _"No, but it'd be nice to see you." _

A small wave of guilt passed over her and she huffed, reaching for one of her crutches to help her. "Let me take a shower."

"_Okay, call me when you're done."_

"Yeah, yeah."

Showering had become slightly easier over the past week. It was hard when she didn't have Chloe or pain killers running through her system, but she had to power through it, and carefully clean the bruised and tainted skin usually covered by the brace.

It always hurt when she looked at her leg. Not physically hurt, but mentally, too. She thought about how easily this all could've been prevented; if she didn't have her headphones in, if she had looked before she walked, if she hadn't of just waked out of the building. She could of saved everyone from so much worrying and fear if she hadn't of been so stupid. She could of stopped this from happening if she had just paid attention. A darker thought crossed her mind, one she hadn't felt since her mom died, but she pushed it away. She quickly finished her shower and popped a few pain killers before getting dressed. Soon after she called up Jesse and asked him where they were meeting, but she Jesse insisted that they pick her up. So Beca waited.

Breakfast wasn't as awkward as she thought it would be. Zach and Jesse didn't show a lot of affection towards each other, of which Beca was glad for. The blue-eyed brunette was on her second cup of coffee by the time Zach brought up recent events.

"So, I hear you fired your manager because he was in love with you." Zach smirked and sipped his orange juice.

"I heard he quit." Jesse piqued.

Beca sighed and shook her head. "Neither. He was a homophobic assholoe who didn't want me to be with Chloe." Beca stated, looking at the boys.

"Because he was in love with you?"

"No, Zach, he wasn't-"

"Wait, Bec. Zach may have a point." Jesse cut her off, leaning against the back of the booth. "Guys don't act rationally when they like someone. You know that."

Beca could sense that Jesse was hinting at Chris and she sighed. "Don't talk about him, please. I still have nightmares."

"About him?"

"No, about Beyonce." She shook her head. "Yes, about him. They've gotten worse since I came back."

"But you've visited before, and never had a problem." ach stated, taking Jesse's hand. Beca bit her lip.

"I know. It's stupid. I've always had trouble sleeping, it's fine."

Jesse, "Don't close yourself off, Becs. We just got you to open up."

Zach, "Please don't shut us out again."

Beca looked up at them slowly. She swallowed, then averted her eyes. "I just.. it's stupid."

"Beca, you can tell us anything. Even if Chloe doesn't know." Jesse reassured her, smiling warmly.

"Being back for longer than a week, knowing he's out there.." _Knowing Cody is going through the same thing. _"It's not a pleasant feeling. Like he's gonna try and get me again and mess up my life all over again."

"But if it wasn't for him you wouldn't of gone to LA when you did." Zach pointed out, and the waitress came to get their orders.

"If it wasn't for him I'd of never lost Chloe." Beca retorted, folding her hands in her lap. "I don't know if I'll ever stop being afraid of him."

Jesse could feel sympathy for his friend. He hadn't been totally around for the while Chris situation, mostly because he was figuring things out for himself in that time. He looked over at Beca and saw how broken she seemed. He couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty; he had inadvertently pushed her into Chris' arms. Now the girl was broken beyond repair, and he left Chloe, Scott, Belle, and Aubrey to try and fix her, while he focused on getting with Zach. It wasn't a decision he entirely regretted, but he knew he should of tried to help her.

"It just takes time, you know?" Zach shrugged and reached over to place his hand over Beca's. "You'll stop being afraid. You're Beca-Freakin'-Mitchell, I've seen the things you can do." The blonde boy grinned, and Beca smiled.

"Thanks, Zach… What're you going to school for?" Beca asked, leaning in the booth when the waitress brought out their meals. She was really just looking to change the subject.

"Major in business, minor in theater." Zach explained, digging into his waffles.

"How would you feel about maybe.. Becoming my manager? I can even pay for your classes at UCLA or wherever you wanna go to school at out in LA." Beca asked, her eyes filled with hope.

Zach looked at Jesse with a surprised expression. He was most definitely not expecting Beca to ask him that. He thought about it while chewing a piece of waffle, and after smiling at Jesse's almost-concerned expression, nodded at Beca.

"I'd love to."

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**Tuesday, March 1st**

Beca was glad to have that damned immobile brace off. It was horrible to move around in, not to mention how big of a pain in the ass the crutches were. They were as inconvenient as the brace itself. When Beca got the call from her doctor saying she could go get it switched for a mobile one, she was ecstatic. It just meant one step closer to getting out of Georgia and going back to LA.

Not that she minded Georgia. It was the place where her brother was, where she was from. It had her father, Shelia- even though she refused to talk to the woman for reasons other than Scott- and above all, it currently held the love of her life. Chloe loved the vibe of Atlanta, but Beca knew that if Beca had only asked, the redhead would follow her to LA. Wouldn't she?

She had called Jesse that morning, asking her friend for a ride. She had to wait a half hour while he finished a meeting, but it was worth it. He had happily drove her to the clinic where her braces were switched out. When she bent her knee for the first time in around a month without feeling a searing pain, it was stiff and hurt slightly from the fading bruises. The doctor had told her to only wear the brace when she was going out, just to make sure she didn't collapse. She was free to take it off at home, so as long as she had a lot of support to help her.

Immediately after, she had sent an excited text to Chloe, knowing she'd get it when she could check her phone. As Jesse drove her towards the diner (for lunch, her treat), Beca played on her phone, messaging Maggie and seeing how things were in LA.

_**Maggie: Stop worrying so much. You just focus on being able to walk again.**_

**Beca: I have. I got my mobile brace today. I can walk w/o the crutches. **

_**Maggie: Great news! **_

**Beca: How've you been handling the sudden silence? **

_**Maggie: What silence? Between CR and Alex this place always has music playing.**_

**Beca: They visit often? **

_**Maggie: I get lonely, Becs.**_

Bca chuckled as she slowly got out of Jesse's car, using whatever she could (besides Jesse) for support. She didn't want to lean on him, because she didn't want to feel like she needed to depend on anyone to help her.

**Beca: Just no sex on the couch. That's what beds are for.**

Beca didn't get a text back, but she didn't mind that. SHe and Jesse fell into simple conversation, mostly about that summer and where he and Zach would be staying until they found an apartment of their own.

"I'm sure Maggie wouldn't mind if you two crashed on our couches until you got settled." Beca stated, munching on a fry.

Jesse shrugged. "If you get Chloe to move out there, it'll be pretty packed. There'd be four people in one apartment, maybe five if Mags gets a.. boyfriend? Girlfriend? Whatever she's into."

Beca thought about it for a moment. "Why don't you guys just get an apartment in the same building? It'll make a lot of things easier."

"I'll look into it." Beca threw a fry at him. "Hey! Be nice!"

"Oh shut up, nerd." Beca smiled at him and ate her burger. They continued to eat and talk until Beca paled, frozen with her eyes locked at the entrance. Jesse furrowed his brow at her, then turned, only to be immediately met with anger.

Chris Loveless walked up to them with a smirk. "Beca Mitchell. It's been a while." He said, crossing his arms. Eli followed behind him, and he waved happily at Beca.

"What the hell do you want, Loveless?" Jesse snapped, glaring at him.

"Calm your dog, Beca. I don't want him to bite." Eli frowned at his roommates' words and turned to walk to their given table. Beca frowned at his departure.

"Why are you talking to me, Chris? I don't want to talk to you." Beca explained, not meeting Chris' eyes.

Chris, however, caught onto this. "It's such a shame you left so suddenly back in May. We were having such a good time." He winked, and Jesse went to stand, but Beca stopped him. She didn't want him fighting her battles.

"Beca, what is he talking about?" Jesse asked, his eyes filled with concern as he looked over at Beca as the girl stood.

"I'm just taking about the night when I rocked Beca's world. It was the night she left, you know. She came to me for one last good time after that slutty redhead saw us getting it on." Everything Chris had said was a lie. Beca knew this. Jesse knew this, but Chris didn't know Jesse knew. Beca was furious when Chris called Chloe a slut.

Beca looked at him, and straightened her posture. It hurt, but she pushed through it. She crossed her arms, and met his gaze. "Why would I want to spend a night with you? Your dick is so tiny it wouldn't even fill a baby squirrel. Why do you think I'm a lesbian? It was so much like scissoring with you I learned to love it." BEca was proud of the look on his face.

She wasn't, however, expecting the punch to the face that sent her flying backward into the booth. She heard commotion around them, and felt someone trying to help her up. She opened her eyes and saw Eli helping her, and saw Chris getting thrown out of the diner by Jesse and a waiter before her friend came to help her.

"Shit, Beca, your lip is busted.." Eli mumbled.

"I'm calling Chloe." Jesse went to get up, but Beca pulled him back.

"Don't be stupid, dude. I'll be fine. Just get me someplace where I can get cleaned up."

Jesse looked to Eli and sighed before helping the girl up and out to his car. Eli said he'd meet them at Scott's apartment, and that he was paying for their lunch because he "wanted to make up for what his asshole roommate did".

Beca didn't speak the entire ride home. Neither did Jesse. Jesse was worried about her. She had this… look on her face. Like something was wrong, and Beca wasn't telling him. She was quiet, and her lip was really bleeding. When they pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building, Jesse looked over at her.

"You didn't really sleep with him, did you?"

Beca looked at him and shook her head. That was enough confirmation for now, as Beca headed inside without a word. She was met with Scott on the couch, turning on the TV. He had just gotten home from morning classes.

He turned to smile at her and tell her how happy he was that she was walking, but then he saw her lip. Beca could see his demeanor change and she quickly spoke up.

"Scott, please-"

"Who the hell did this to you?" Scott asked, anger seeping through.

Beca gave her brother a scared look; she had never seen her brother that angry. She had never seen anyone that angry in the first place, and a part of her started to know that this was all her fault. Scott was pissed off, and it was her fault. She caused this to herself. She stepped back from him, and he pushed past her.

"I'm gonna kick that fucker's ass.." He went to open the door, but was stopped by Eli on the other side.

Eli carefully pushed Scott back into the room and took his keys from him, the slightly shorter boy glaring at Eli the whole time. Jesse watched as Eli walked the keys over to Beca and gently placed them in her hands, knowing that Scott wouldn't try to take them from her.

"Scott, man, you gotta calm down. There's nothing we can do right now." Jesse explained, leaning against a wall. Over the years, he had gotten much better at hiding his own anger when it involved people he cared about.

"We could call the police, get the asshole in jail for assault or something-"

"I'm not going to the police with this."

"Beca-"

"No. I'm not the only one affected by this right now. There's.. Cody, she's involved, too. I'm not sending him to jail just because I couldn't keep my mouth shut." Beca snapped, crossing her arms. The blood on her lip had started to try, cracking along her lip and making her feel even more uncomfortable. She looked around at her friends and brother and shook her head, before turning and walking to the bathroom.

The three guys just looked at each other, all speechless. Scott had calmed down some, Jesse felt guilty, as did Eli. It was quiet in the apartment, aside from the light buzzing from electronics and the water running in the bathroom. None of the guys moved.

"She blames herself." JEsse whispered, glancing back at the hallway.

"She shouldn't. It wasn't her fault." Scott commented.

"Yeah, but you know Beca. Yeah, she egged him on, but he was spewing lies everywhere, calling Chloe a slut, saying Beca slept with him. That liar _ruined _her life months ago and now he thinks he can just walk back into her life to do it again? I'm sorry, Elijah, but we really need to do about this. I don't want him anywhere near Beca." Jesse finished, resting his head against the wall.

"Don't want who near Beca?"

All three guys turned to see Chloe walk through the door, bag in hand and a concerned expression on her face.

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Chloe was fuming. Jesse actually thought that Chloe was going to be more of a threat than Scott. He had to physically hold her back from sprinting out of the door to go and find Chris. The guys had explained what all happened at the diner, but it just made her anger worse.

"Chloe, stop. Beca needs you right now." Eli stated calmly, placing a hand on the girls' shoulder.

Chloe relaxed a little at the name of her girlfriend and took a few deep breaths. She didn't want to seem too pissed of for her girlfriend. Once she got a nod from Scott, she walked down the hallway towards the sound of running water. She knocked gently on the door, and waited as she heard shuffling on the other side.

Beca opened the door, not expecting it to be Chloe. She furrowed her brow and checked the time. It was too early for Beca to be home.

"Chloe?"

The redhead just found herself staring at Beca's busted lip. She gently reached forward and carefully grazed it, noticing how Beca flinched away at first. "You're okay, Beca. Okay? I'm not gonna hurt you." She whispered, a calm smile on her face. She grabbed a couple tylenol from the bottle on the counter and handed them to her girlfriend. "These should help the pain, although kissing might hurt for a while."

Beca just laughed lightly at her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around her.

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**Wednesday, March 9th**

Beca hadn't slept in the past week. If she did get the chance to, she'd only last a few hours before she was woken up by Chloe, saying that she had started crying and screaming in her sleep. Her nightmares were coming back. Flashes of his face with that devilish grin, scenarios where he would be hurting her, or hurting Cody in front of her. Scenarios where he'd attack Chloe, and make Beca watch. They were horrible, and Beca just wanted them to stop.

Checking the time, she saw how early it really was. A week ago Chloe would already be gone by this point to get her classroom ready, but much to Beca's shock, Chloe surprised her by saying she had quit her job so she could move to LA with her in April. Beca, of course, was worried about Chloe giving up what she wanted to do, but Chloe surprised her once again by saying she was looking for open teaching jobs (and exoitic dancing jobs if it came down to it).

Beca sighed to herself and pushed her laptop off her lap before detaching Chloe from her midsection. It was five A.M., and Beca wanted some coffee. It was all she had to keep her awake, because every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was Christopher Loveless. Being as quiet as possible, Beca padded her way towards the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Her eyes were red and she had bags under them, signaling her immerse lack of sleep. Her lip had gotten slightly better, the swelling went down somewhat. She was glad that she didn't have to wear her leg brace at home, otherwise she'd feel like she was falling apart (which she was, but she'd never admit it).

When her coffee was ready, Beca grabbed her pack of cigarettes and a notepad from her and walked to the small balcony. She sipped at her coffee, lit a cigarette and sat down in one of the chairs, and watched the sun rise before she started to write down whatever came to mind; this time being song lyrics. She always loved watching the sunset, but it wasn't nearly as pretty as the sun rise. SHe wasn't sure how long she had sat there, just writing and watching the sky. By the time she returned inside, she had a full set of lyrics and the sun was high in the sky, she was out of coffee, three cigarettes short, and Isabelle was making breakfast in the kitchen. She got another cup of coffee, and leaned against the counter.

"Hey, Becs." Belle chimed. "How long have you been awake?"

Scott and CHloe had talked to Isabelle about what happened when she had gotten home, after Jesse and Elijah left. She was mad at first, but she knew that she had to be there for the DJ, so she calmed her anger and let Scott and Chloe be the really angry ones.

"I never fell asleep."

Belle looked at her with sympathetic eyes. Beca scoffed. "Don't give me that look, Belle."

"You really should try and sleep, Beca…"

"I _have _tried. Every time.. Every time I do I just see him there, doing horrible, horrible things. I can't take it. I'll just stay up until I can't anymore."

"How long has it been? Since you last slept?" Belle asked,transferring a few pieces of bacon to a plate.

"This time? Only a day and a half." Beca stated as she reached for a piece of bacon, chewing on it pointedly.

Belle sighed and shook her head, finishing up breakfast. She didn't say anything, but she knew that Beca could handle it. Beca could handle almost anything. Anything except the cuteness Chloe emitted when she walked out of Beca's room dressed in a pair of boxers and a tank-top, rubbing her eyes and reaching for Beca saying "I miss you". That had Beca in a shit-eating grin, and Belle was glad that Chloe Beale, was Beca Mitchell's big weakness.


	10. A New Life

**A/N: Here you go guys, the last chapter of Stop There and Let Me Correct It. I had a little mishap when counting how many chapters I had, and I know I said there was supposed to be one more after this, but it was my mistake. I hope you guys enjoy this run, and the third installment will be up as soon as it's finished! Keep an eye out, guys, and I really hope you guys like how I finished this installment.**

* * *

**Thursday, March 24th**

Being trapped in an apartment by herself during the day wasn't really taking as much of a toll on Beca that she thought it would. She hadn't really gotten much more sleep since the whole Chris incident, but Chloe has slowly gotten her to get more hours than she was before. During the day, while everyone was at school (Or in Chloe's case, looking for job opportunities in LA), Beca took to being alone rather than being with Jesse, and it stuck that way for a while. Beca rarely talked to anyone outside her immediate family since the event, and everyone seemed to be walking on eggshells around her, almost like she would break at any moment.

This really bothered Beca. She hated when people were so careful around her; it made her feel like she couldn't do anything on her own. She knew she could; she had been doing it for so long and nobody seemed to have a problem with it until now. Nobody seemed to care about what Beca did as long as it was considered "safe" and didn't involve dealing drugs, but now that she had one bad relationship everyone assumes she's going to break.

What irritated the alt girl the most was when people repetitively told her that what happened with Chris wasn't her fault. She didn't understand why so many people kept telling her that- the times that it happened, it was her fault. She had cheated on him the first time, and the other times after she had egged him on. She had gotten attacked by him because it was her fault, but nobody else seemed to see it like that but her. She had accepted it and tried to move on, despite the recurring nightmares, and things were starting to go okay so far.

Beca and Chloe were set to move back to LA at the beginning of April, so Beca had taken to help pack Chloe's things that were going with them and sending them ahead of time, while putting the big furniture in storage. By the time they were finished, all that was left of Chloe's empty apartment was a few boxes that were going to Scott's apartment until they left, consisting of clothes and items that Chloe would need around, like her laptop or various other things.

When it came down to it, Beca was actually quite glad that Belle had convinced her to come out for the few months that it took for her to recover. It was helping her a lot, and she had not only busted out a few mixes, but she also got lyrics written for a few original songs. Despite the small bumps that she was dealing with while in Georgia, she was getting a lot of business things done, and she knew that as soon as she got back to LA, she'd be able to get a few songs recorded, and she'd be putting out her own solo album. Things were looking up.

She was in the middle of putting one of her songs to music with the help of her brother's guitar and her keyboard when her phone went off, with the default ringtone. With a furrowed brow she put the guitar down and picked up her phone, before answering it.

"Hello?"

"_Beca? I-It's Cody. Are.. Could you come pick me up? I'm.. I'm at the hospital." _

Beca's eyes widened as she moved as quickly as she could with her still recovering body to put on the brace and grab her brother's keys. She was thanking God in that moment that he walked to school, otherwise she'd be screwed.

"Yeah, I'm on my way.. Stay where you are."

She just hoped that the reason why Cody was at the hospital, wasn't the same reason why her lip was still slightly bruised.

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Waiting for Cody to come out of the Emergency Room was one of the longest waits Beca had to endure since she had to wait for Chloe to call her last fall. She paced back and forth, playing with her hands as a nervous habit. She was afraid of what had happened to the girl. She was afraid that Chris had gone one step too far this time. She was afraid that she couldn't do anything to comfort Cody, because she felt like she wouldn't be strong enough. Cody didn't deserve any of this, not from Chris, not from anyone.

When the colored-haired girl came out of the room with a black eye and her arm in a sling, Mason saw red. Cody looked like she had been hit by a car, and Beca definitely knew what that felt like. She walked up to the girl and looked at her carefully, before pulling her in for a hug. She felt Cody slowly start to relax in her arms, and that was when she felt the wetness against her neck. Cody was crying, probably for the first time since she got to the hospital, and all she could do was hold her while she silently fumed inside.

Once Cody calmed down some, Beca helped her sign out and led her out to her car. She got in the driver's side and just drove around Atlanta, knowing that Cody wouldn't want to go to her classes that day. The Bellas, however, deserved to know what had happened, and Beca promised Cody that she would be with her when she told them.

"Will you tell me what happened before we go to rehearsal, though?" Beca asked, clutching the steering wheel so hard that her knuckles were turning white. She was so pissed that Chris was still out there, doing who knows what to who knows who.

Cody was silent for a moment. Her eyes were fixed outside the window at the passing scenery, and Beca knew that it would take a few moments, if Cody was even going to tell her right now.

"We were.. We were in my room. We were kissing.. A-and he wanted to go all the way." Cody started, her voice wavering and broken. She had a cut on her lip that matched Beca's, and Beca could tell by the way she flinched every time she had to blink that the bruise on her eye was pretty bad. "I told him no. That's all I did- I just told him no. He _completely _flipped.. There.. There was yelling.. A lot of it.. I kept telling him to stop, that I hadn't done that before, to leave me alone..He kept trying to force me, Beca." Beca watched as Cody wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye. "I guess someone heard me, because they called the cops.. One cop.. No, two cops.. They got him off of me, a-and they arrested him, and another one called an ambulance."

Beca could feel her heart breaking for the girl next to you. "Cody.. Has anyone called your parents?"

Cody shook her head and looked over at Beca. "My parents died when I was little. I was put into foster care, but I never landed a home so I was stuck in a group home. I have no siblings, either.. I'm just by myself."

Beca reached over and gently took Cody's uninjured hand in her own. "Well… One thing's for sure. You've got all the family you need within the Bellas, and Scott, because lets face it, he's basically a Bella." That got a smile out of Cody. "And another thing, that bastard is finally behind bars, where he belongs." She paused a moment to pull over, and turned towards Cody. "But I need you to promise me something, alright?"

When Cody nodded, she continued. "I don't want to hear that you're blaming yourself, okay? None of this.. _None _of it is your fault, okay? You didn't do anything to deserve it, so don't think that you did. You.. This was just a bump in the road. He's not going to hurt you, not anymore. You're safe. But I don't want you thinking that you're worthless because this happened to you, or that you did something to push him to this, because you didn't. He's just an awful, _awful _person, that doesn't deserve to be with someone as amazing as you, got it?" She stated, giving Cody's hand a gentle squeeze when the junior met her eyes.

"You are worth so much more than some asshole who thinks it's alright to hurt girls. Hurt _us. _We're safe, okay? He's not going to hurt us." She cleared her throat, knowing that at some point she started saying 'we' and 'us' instead of just talking to Cody. She could feel her breathing start to pick up at the anger that came with thinking about Christopher Loveless, but she choked it down, and put the car back in drive. "Now.. How about we go get some ice cream or something."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Monday, April 4th **

Chloe coming with her to LA was the dream that Beca had wanted for the past two years. She was beyond glad to heave the boxes up with the help of Cynthia Rose and Maggie (Chloe had decided to get them all lunch in return for doing the manual labor), and she didn't mind at all when Maggie all but demanded that they all have a movie night to welcome Beca back, and to welcome Chloe to their home to stay. By the time they had gotten everything unpacked, it was bordering on time for dinner, and everyone had agreed to Maggie's demand. It was a nice first night back, and Beca was starting to feel happier each day.

The shake up with Cody really just left Beca pissed off and crying, both out of happiness and frustration. She was frustrated with herself that she didn't keep a better eye on Cody, but Marie, Cody, and Chloe all reminded her that it wasn't her job to watch the junior. She had done all that she could, and that was more than Cody could of asked for. She slowly started to forgive herself for blaming herself about Chris, and it was obvious how Beca was starting to become happy again, slowly but surely.

The next day, Beca was surprisingly the first to get out of bed. Her body was still on Georgia time, and unlike Chloe, she wasn't that jet-lagged. She wanted to get to the studio as soon as she could, mostly so she could get a move on this solo album. It was a for-sure project, even Zach and Jesse were on board with the whole thing. While Beca was bustling about, making sure that she had everything she needed for a day of recording, she didn't even notice when Chloe came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her. Beca had jumped, but relaxed when she heard Chloe chuckle and hold her tighter. Beca smiled and leaned into Chloe's touch, before turning around in her arms.

"What's got you up so early?" Chloe whispered, trying not to wake the other people in the apartment (consisting of Maggie and Alex, who had crashed on the couch).

"I wanna get to the studio- I wanna get a few songs recorded as soon as possible. especially with the BMA's next month." Beca started to ramble, but stopped when she saw Chloe's smile. Chloe just shook her head at her and leaned forward, pressing her lips to Beca's softly for a few moments.

"Okay, stop hustling and relax for a few moments. We can make it down there, I mean, it's your studio, right? Not like you've got to beat anyone there, right?"

Beca smiled at her girlfriend and kissed her again before she grabbed her hand and her guitar case before they headed out towards Beca's studio.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"_When you gonna come lift me up?_

_I'm out of my head, flat on my face._

_Is anybody here listening?_

_When you gonna come let me in?_

_._

_Cause the hardest part is holding on,_

_When everything has come undone._

_Yeah everybody needs someone."_

Chloe grinned as she hit the stop recording button in the studio. Beca had taught her all that she needed to to help her with the recording, and she was really glad to be able to help out her girlfriend with everything. She gave Beca the thumbs up, and Beca grinned at her before pulling off the headphones and walking out of the booth. She listened to the back track a few times while messing with different electronic beats and instruments before she set that to the side, and turned towards Chloe. She pecked the girls cheek, and gently took the redheads hands in her own.

"So.. I know you weren't expecting this.. But I wrote another song, and I kinda wanted to sing it as a duet with you." Beca admitted, squeezing her girlfriends hands gently. "I can give you the lyrics, but I just want to.. you know, record it right away. I want it to be raw, so.. You start, and I'll follow your lead?" Beca suggested, going into her bag and pulling out a set of scribbled-down sheets of music.

Chloe looked down at them and nodded, and Beca grinned before pulling up her guitar. It was an acoustic song, and Beca slowly started to play. The sheet music held every lyric and pause for them, and Beca was glad that she put in the extra effort. She knew exactly how she wanted this song to be, and Chloe was going to sing it like it was, mostly because that's how Chloe was. Beca knew they'd sound perfect.

_Oh, I've been sitting here for hours_

_As I wish for this to start_

_I set my standards high_

_In hopes they will not fall apart_

_It's almost like I fell asleep_

_My doubts have seemed to fade_

_Because I've opened up my eyes to see_

_I'm right where I planned to be_

_Today!_

_Today!"_

Beca grinned as she heard Chloe start to sing, and she leaned forward into her mic to pick up the harmonies in the chorus. Her eyes fell on the redhead next to her, and she could see her nodding her head along to the guitar, her eyes falling on the paper as if to scan ahead for where she was singing next.

"_Cast your nets, __**cast it out**_

_And I hope to god __**you'll scream and shout**_

_It's everything you wanted, __**maybe more**_

**Anyone can dream through the night**

**But only some can dream with eyes wide**

**There lies the fight inside**

**It resides in everyone**

**They will proclaim you a fool**

**And it reminds you to do**

**Anything and everything to prove them a liar**

**It's almost like I fell asleep**

**My doubts have seemed to fade**

**Because I've opened up my eyes to see**

**I'm right where I planned to be**

**Today!**

**Today!**

**Cast your nets**_**, cast it out**_

**And I hope to god **_**you'll scream and shout**_

**It's everything you wanted**_**, maybe more."**_

Beca could feel Chloe's hand on her shoulder, and she smiled into the microphone as she sang her heart out. She had the lyrics memorized, so as she pulled away from the paper in front of her, she tilted her head so that she could watch Chloe better while singing and playing. She didn't notice Ethan walk into the studio booth, but the man standing there watching them grinned, spotting love hearts in Beca's eyes as the girl looked at Chloe. It was so obvious how head over heels Beca was for Chloe, and Ethan loved seeing Beca this vulnerable. He had only caught some parts of the song, but hearing their voices and seeing how they were in the studio together had his heart soaring for the two. He was so happy for them.

"_**Does it seem out of reach?**_

_**Hit the ground, and run with both your feet**_

_**Here's a lesson that I hope to teach**_

_**Believe you'll be a dream catcher**_

**Cry out loud and take the stage**

**And don't let skeptics slow your pace**

**With every forward step you'll take**

**Their breath away**

_**Their breath away**_

_Believe, believe they'll spit their words_

_And some will say it seems absurd_

_But devour the cynics,_

_Dismiss the critics,_

_And mark my words_

_They'll regret it when you..._

_...cast your nets, cast it out_

_And I hope to god you'll scream and shout_

_It's everything you wanted, maybe more_

_Today!_

_**Today!**_

_**Cast your nets, cast it out**_

**And I hope to god you'll scream and shout**

_It's everything you wanted, maybe more_

_**Does it seem out of reach?**_

_**Hit the ground, and run with both your feet**_

_**Here's a lesson that I hope to teach**_

_**Believe you'll be a dream catcher**_

**Please believe you'll be a dream catcher**

_Please believe you'll be a dream catcher."_

As Beca strummed the last few notes on the guitar, Ethan hit the stop recording button, then slowly started to clap for them both. He chuckled when he saw them both jump, Beca jumping more than Chloe as that she was the one staring at the redhead. He watched as they blushed, then turned towards him, Beca removing her guitar.

"You thought you two could get away from me that easily?" He spoke into the microphone, and Beca just smiled and shook her head as she exited the booth, and walked right into a hug from her friend.

"Oh, it's been too long, Koopa. I missed you and your skyscraper qualities." Beca mumbled against his chest, before stepping back and taking Chloe's hand in her own, leading her to the chairs.

"How'd you know where we were?" Chloe asked, taking a seat on Beca's lap. Beca grunted a little, but wrapped her arms around her lover anyways.

"Maggie told me. I stopped by because a little birdy by the name of Cynthia Rose might of mentioned that you were back in town, and made her lift little red's boxes up the stairs." Ethan said with a smirk as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Okay, we didn't make her lift them, she offered." Beca huffed, resting her head on Chloe's chin.

"Don't look at me like that, you look like a sad puppy."

Beca rolled her eyes. "Is there a reason why you're bothering my recording session, Koopa?"

Ethan rose an eyebrow. "Geez, you woulda thought that there'd of been more love for someone who hid their sexuality for you." He feigned hurt, and Chloe laughed.

"You _chose _to do that, dumbass. Now what's the real reason?"

"I have plans for you, for your birthday surprise."

Chloe's eyes widened. "That's right! Your birthday is this Saturday! My baby's gonna be 23!"

Beca rolled her eyes. "Look at what you did!"

Ethan laughed at them and walked over to them. "Oh don't worry, come Saturday, Chloe's gonna be the least of your problems.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Saturday, April 9th**

"Ethan I am _not _doing that!"

"Stop your whining. Just make sure your helmets on right, hold onto this bar, then kick off. It's easy."

"I'm going to _die!" _

"You're not going to die! These are totally safe- Dylan and I do it all the time with Daria."

"_Ethan. _I'm going to _die!" _

"Oh, look. Chloe's got it down pretty nicely!"

"What? Ethan I swear to God-"

"Bye, Beca!"

Ethan watched from the mountaintop as Beca was pushed off the cliff, her hang glider easily catching the wind and sending her flying. He watched her struggle for a moment or two, but then she got control of it, and was flying free. He waited a few minutes before he jumped himself, and made sure that he was right behind her the entire way.

Beca, on the other hand, was terrified. She hated heights, but this seemed calming, once she got over the initial fear that if she let go, she'd plummet to the earth below, and would probably die. She watched as the scenery around her came in and out of the misty forest, bringing and taking landscapes and things she had only seen in pictures. It was definitely a gorgeous sight, and Beca was amazed by how great it all looked.

She usually hated her birthday with a passion, because it was one of the only days of the year where she was forced to spend time with her father and Sheila, but today, she didn't mind it. She was having fun, she had her girlfriend with her and she was in LA. Her dreams were coming true, one slow, but steady step at a time.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Sunday, May 15th**

The BMA's in Las Vegas was an event that every aspiring musician dreamed about. Beca's dreams were coming true as she waited patiently backstage; she had to present the Top Male Artist award, was nominated for Top Digital Songs Artist, and Ashlynn O'Daire was nominated for Top New Artist. They had gotten her album out a little after Christmas, and it sold like crazy. Beca was set to perform a new song off her solo album, one that she made sure none of her friends had heard, and her nerves were settling in, as usual. She shook out her nerves as she got ready to present; she'd be on her own out there.

She had been backstage when Top New Artist was announced, but it didn't surprise her when Ashlynn's name was called out. She clapped as loud as she could from behind the curtain, obviously very proud of her client. She listened intently to her speech, and she beamed with joy when Ashlynn thanked her. It was something she never thought she heard, but she was glad that she had. She was making Ashlynn's dreams come true, and that made her all the more happy inside.

She peeked behind the curtains, looking at the crowd, and instead of her nerves coming at full force, a wave of adrenaline coursed through her. She waited patiently until her name was announced, and she followed the sound of the applause out to the podium where she began her speech.

"Wow, okay. I never thought I'd get this much love from a giant crowd." She chuckled, and smiled out at everyone as she spoke into the microphone; her voice echoing around the semi-quiet room. "The next category of the night is one that I personally could never go out for, Top Male Artist. The nominees in this category are those that have been big in the industry for a while, and there's no doubt in my mind that these are all talented artists. I haven't had the chance to work with them- yet-, and it would be an honor to even be in the same room as these guys. Heck, I'm shaking up here in this dress, you just can't see it." She waited for the small amount of laughter coming from the crowd died down before continuing.

"Your nominees for Top New Artist are: Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Drake, Pharrell Williams, and Justin Timberlake."

She waited for the screen behind her to do the video intros for the nominees, and then it was time for her to announce the winner. She waited patiently for the applause to stop again, and after taking a deep breath, she spoke again.

"And the winner, for Top Male Artist is…" Pause, for dramatic effect. "Ed Sheeran!"

She watched as the British singer stood up with a grin and walked up to the stage, and effortlessly gave Beca a hug. She didn't mind it- she personally loved the man's work, so after she handed him his award she stepped back and listened to his speech. It was a nice and touching speech, but after he was done she was pulled backstage to get changed for her performance. This is when her nerves settled in.

The thing about this particular performance was that this song was one that was really close to her heart. It meant a lot to her, and she was about to show the entire country a side of her that she never thought she'd be showing. She took repetitive deep breaths, trying to keep herself calm as Top Duo/Group was being announced. She was set to perform after that category, so as she tuned up her guitar and waited patiently, she had a steady mantra going through her head:

_You can do this._

_Don't worry about what they think._

_This is for you, and for Cody._

_Do it for Cody._

When the transitional music played she watched as the stage crew hurried to get her stand and microphones set up. She saw a wave of people on their phones and moving around in the crowd, and she swallowed a few times as she waited. She hated waiting. She _really _hated waiting.

The waiting came to an end when the cameras came back from a commercial break, and she walked onstage with her camera in hand, and the spotlight on her. She sat on the stool and adjusted herself, making sure her guitar was tuned one last time before leaning up to the mic.

"This one's for Cody." She spoke, giving a gentle smile before she started into the next song.

"_Hey, girl, you know you drive me crazy_

_One look puts the rhythm in my hand._

_Still I'll never understand why you hang around_

_I see what's going down._

_._

_Cover up with make-up in the mirror_

_Tell yourself, it's never gonna happen again_

_You cry alone and then he swears he loves you."_

Beca's breath hitched as she met Chloe's eyes in the audience, and she saw how her girlfriend barely held an expression. She couldn't tell what Chloe was feeling, what she was thinking, and that kind of scared her. She glanced next to Chloe and saw Belle smiling at her, swaying along to the music. Typical Belle.

"_Do you feel like a man when you push her around?_

_Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?_

_Well, I'll tell you, my friend, one day this world's gonna end_

_As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found._

_._

_A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect_

_Every action in this world will bear a consequence_

_If you wade around forever, you will surely drown_

_I see what's going down._

_._

_I see the way you go and say you're right again,_

_Say you're right again_

_Heed my lecture."_

As she fell into the next chorus, Beca felt her heart start to beat faster as she realized that everyone was staring at her. Everyone was knowing her deepest, darkest secret now. By noon the next day there was going to be press everywhere about what "Beca Mitchell's New Song" is about.

"_One day she will tell you that she has had enough_

_He's coming round again._

_._

_Do you feel like a man when you push her around?_

_Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?_

_Well, I'll tell you, my friend, one day this world's gonna end_

_As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found."_

Her throat was getting dry but she powered through; she was Beca-Freakin'-Mitchell, and she was determined. She played harder and looked out at the crowd, noticing how everyone had either sympathetic looks or just seemed intrigued by the looks on everyone's faces. She tried to block them out as she finished the song.

"_Face down in the dirt,_

_She said, 'This doesn't hurt.'_

_She said, 'I finally had enough.' "_

As she finished the song, the crowd erupted in a wave of cheers, and Beca knew she had made it. She bowed and went to head backstage again, so she could change back into a different dress for the rest of the night, something she'd be comfortable in, but something that had something she had been hiding in the pocket for the night. She had a plan for tonight, and that plan was going to go into motion as soon as her category was announced, and was for sure going to be gone through with if she won the award. When she returned to the seat, she took her spot between Chloe and Jesse, and immediately her fingers were laced with her girlfriends. A wave of security washed over her, and she felt on top of the world. Adrenaline continued to race through her veins, and she was ecstatic. At some point, Jesse had leaned over, and whispered in her ear.

"Do you have it?"

Beca grinned and nodded. "It's in my pocket."

"You've got this in the bag, Becs. You know what she's going to say."

"I just hope you're right."

Soon Beca's category was announced, and Beca chewed on her lip, while Chloe just squeezed her hand. They were all nervous for Beca, but Beca was the most nervous. This award would make or break her near future, and while she was terrified, she was also excited. She took a few deep breaths while the nominees were being announced, and when the announcer paused, her heart stopped.

"Beca Mitchell!"

Applause broke out and Beca's head started to spin, but she stepped past her friends and out into the aisle, while the camera watched her walk up. She felt her stomach in her throat and wiped her hands on her dress slightly as she took her award, and stood up to the podium again.

"Oh, geez that's heavier than I thought." The crowd laughed. "Uhh.. Well, I honestly wasn't expecting this, but I just have to say.. well, thank you. Thank you to my wonderful fans, both the new ones and the ones who loved the Bellas, thank you to my dad and Sheila," That one surprised even her. "To my brother, Scott, to Jesse, my manager, Zach, to Ethan," She heard a 'woop' coming from somewhere around Scott, and she laughed into the mic. "But.. above everyone else, sorry guys, I'd like to thank my wonderful girlfriend, Chloe Beale, who has been my rock through everything else. Chloe, I love you forever, and, wow, that was actually really cheesy." She cleared her throat while everyone laughed, and she quickly looked at the hosts and the stage manager of the night, who gave her the okay. Luckily, she had checked with them about this beforehand, just in case. "And.. One more thing, Jess, will you bring her up here?"

Everyone watched as Jesse escorted a very confused Chloe up to the podium, and Beca grinned at her. "Chloe, even back in college you were always there for me, and you always knew exactly what to say. You are my everything, and well, I want you to be my everything forever. Chloe Beale…" She pulled out a small velvet box from her pocket, "Will you marry me?"


End file.
